“Hey, Reporter Bae. How about you take it a bit easier?” my senior suggested.

“There’s no time to rest right now,” I[1] answered.

“The meeting hasn't even started yet. If you burn yourself out already, you’ll crash later,” he warned.

“No, sir. Even if I collapse from exhaustion, this is something I have to go all in on. I’m ready to give everything I’ve got for this. You know that,” I told him.

“I know, I know. You’re going to say it again, right? That this will be a historic event that changes your career as a reporter, and that it’ll be a turning point. I’ve heard that so many times my ears are going to bleed, so please just stop already,” another senior complained.

“Even saying it a hundred times wouldn’t be enough. Maybe you seniors aren’t as surprised since you’ve been on the continent longer and seen all sorts of things, but still—haah... No... even so... how can you stay so calm? The Saint of Sacrifice and Revival and the Hero of Shadows are holding a private meeting at the latter's mansion.

"This is the kind of event that would go down in textbooks,” I said. 𝙛𝒓𝓮𝙚𝔀𝒆𝒃𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝓵.𝙘𝒐𝒎

“...”

“...”

When I quietly looked around, I saw the other reporters maintaining their composure, unlike my own heightened excitement. Some were making small talk, others were going about their usual routines. It was to the point that it almost made me wonder whether I was the strange one. It would be more fitting to say they didn’t look like people standing before a historic event. It wasn’t that they lacked interest. It was something else.

‘Are they... not expecting anything...?’

Yeah, that felt like the right way to put it. If anything, it made me feel like the odd one out.

‘Am I... the weird one?’

No, that couldn’t be it. While it was true that I was still a newcomer who hadn’t been on the continent for long, I still knew what mattered here and what didn’t. I had a clear grasp of the overall atmosphere of the continent and its key figures.

The Saint of Sacrifice and Revival, Lee Ki-Young, and the Hero of Shadows, Jin Cheong, were figures that symbolized their respective nations, and their achievements were so incredible that they were almost hard to believe. It was enough to make one wonder if all those stories had been fabricated just to idolize them.

‘But... it wasn’t some kind of idolization.’

If anything, it felt like the rumors and stories were toned down. They were, without a doubt, heroes who had saved the continent, its people, and even outsiders.

By now, they were revered figures respected by all. Those two were going to hold a secret meeting in the republic, and it would be at the mansion of none other than the Hero of Shadows.

‘There’s nothing strange about this. Of course it’s exciting. My seniors just don’t get it...’

It was only natural for my heart to be pounding. Even Miss Kim Sung-Kyeong, who couldn’t attend this meeting, had clearly told me to stay alert and not let my guard down.

Just as I clenched my fist once more, the senior who had been quietly watching me asked, “What? Is something wrong?”

“It just... feels strange, no matter how I think about it,” I answered.

“You think the other reporters are acting too calm?” he asked.

“...”

“...”

“Honestly, that’s how it feels. When their meeting was first arranged, people were going on about peace talks, secret negotiations, and the dawn of a new era of peace... but what’s with this reaction? There are still articles like that being posted. They keep churning out clickbait every second, but don’t you think the gap between what’s being reported and what’s actually happening here is way too big?” I questioned.

“Well... since something big came up, everyone probably wants to jump on it. You know how things work around here, Reporter Bae,” he said.

“I’m not saying we shouldn’t care about views or that we should only act out of journalistic duty. I get it. I know it’s important to produce what the public wants. I’m just saying the difference in tone between the scene here and the articles is way too extreme,” I said.

“...”

“The articles are full of exaggerated language like something huge is about to happen... but do you see that guy over there dozing off? And what about the ones yawning like nothing’s going to happen at all? We weren’t even supposed to have a place in this to begin with.

"We only got permission to tag along after requesting the Continental Protection Management Committee... and yet they’re acting like that? It’s like they’re on some kind of trip...” I complained.

“So, Reporter Bae. Do you really think something’s going to happen?” he asked.

“Wouldn’t it be strange if nothing happened? This is the meeting between the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival and the Hero of Shadows, after all,” I answered.

“...”

“...”

I glanced at my senior. He hadn’t said anything, but I felt like I could tell what that expression meant.

“...”

“...”

“You think nothing’s going to happen... Everyone does... even you...” I commented.

“...”

“They’re calling it peace talks and all that... but you think there won’t be any real outcome?” I asked.

“Well... don’t look at it so negatively, Reporter Bae. As you said... this isn’t your first day as a reporter,” he said.

“...”

“...”

“If something big were really going to happen, the Democratic Country would’ve already leaked some hints. Honestly, the fact that this meeting was made public in the first place is strange. It all started from the Archmage’s personal social media, didn’t it?” he questioned.

“Haa... but still...” I sighed.

“Why do you think the Democratic Country tried to exclude the press in the first place? Reporter Bae, do you know how many sharp minds are there in the Continental Protection Management Committee, the Democratic Country, and the Vatican?” he asked.

“...”

“Think about it. If these peace talks were actually going to produce a positive outcome, do you think those smart people would just sit still? They would’ve taken the lead in promoting the current administration, briefing the situation, and expanding the scale on their own.

"I’d bet the number of media outlets involved would’ve tripled or quadrupled. Do you think the Republic is any different?” he explained.

“...”

“They’re even worse than us. They’re the type who would do anything to glorify their government. But look at things now. Aside from the Republic’s propaganda program, has there been any real noise anywhere?

"I even tried casually probing some people over in the Republic just in case... and it seemed like they didn’t really know much, either... so I figured, yeah, that’s how it is. You get what I mean, right?” he asked.

“...”

“What I’m saying is there probably won’t be any kind of surprise announcement. Honestly, we should just be glad if nothing goes wrong. Do you even know the size of the peace delegation? Twenty thousand people... a full twenty thousand, and they’re all veterans. That’s probably better than a hundred thousand regular troops from most countries,” he said.

“...”

“A hundred griffon riders, around three thousand combat mages... and judging by the fact that even the Vatican’s paladins and priests are here... haah... It just shows the Democratic Country is still wary of the Republic rather than talking about peace,” he continued.

“Th-that’s...”

“You know what’s even more interesting?” he asked.

“What?”

“Even from a personal standpoint, that firm stance of the Democratic Country doesn’t feel strange to me at all,” he answered.

“...”

“Because I’m a citizen of the Democratic Country, too,” he added.

I looked at him again and could only nod carefully. His expression clearly showed he still didn’t trust the Republic, and it wasn’t just him. In fact, the soldiers looked even worse. Many of them were openly on guard against the Republic. It had been like that the entire journey here.

They seemed stiff with tension. Yeah, they looked like people heading off to war.

I knew there had been many conflicts between the Democratic Country and the Republic throughout history, but this was even more blatant than I expected. It might be called a peace delegation, but to anyone watching, it looked like they were here to protect the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival from an enemy.

“Of course, it’s more likely that the kind of unfortunate incident the Democratic Country’s leadership is worried about won’t actually happen. Not in this kind of era, not in this kind of atmosphere,” he said.

“Right.”

“But you can’t deny that they’re on guard. Every single person in the Democratic Country’s leadership. You get what I’m saying, right?” he asked.

“Yes... I understand,” I mumbled.

I didn’t want to admit it, but I had no choice. Seeing the Republic’s soldiers in the distance made me nod even more. They didn’t look any different from the Democratic Country’s peace delegation. Not only were they all armed, but the atmosphere was just as tense, like they were staging a show of force.

It made me realize again why they had taken the long route instead of using a warp gate to travel instantly. It was all for the safety of the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival.

“Well... still, there’s no need to look so down. The Saint of Sacrifice and Revival personally showed up, so there’ll probably be at least some results. This could even become the starting point for a new era.

"You can’t expect everything to go right from the very beginning, right? We just have to do our job,” he said positively.

“Yeah... you’re right,” I said in agreement.

“We need to thoroughly cover what the people of the Democratic Country are curious about, and at the same time gradually lower all the expectations that have built up so far,” he added.

“Yeah—"

“Ah, looks like we’re going in now.”

The carriage carrying the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival suddenly came to a stop.

“Huh?”

While everyone voiced their confusion, the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival stepped out of the carriage and walked forward.

“W-what the?”

He was crossing the Republic’s border barefoot. A barrage of flashes erupted. This wasn’t his first visit to the Republic, but it was the first time he had officially shown himself to the public while crossing the border in person. No one expected him to step out of the carriage and walk on his own two feet, let alone barefoot, so I found myself staring blankly at the sight without realizing it.

A saint, truly a saintlike figure...

“Take the shot! Take it!”

“What is this?! What the hell?! What on earth... What’s going on?!”

Finally, he crossed the border and passed the castle walls.

“Woaaaah!”

“Waaaaaaahh!!”

The cheers were so overwhelming that it was hard to keep my senses straight. Flower petals came flying in from all directions, and I saw a massive wave of people surging forward.

The Republic’s security personnel were trying desperately to hold back the citizens, but the wildly excited crowd struggled with all their might just to witness the moment the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival crossed the Republic’s border.

“Wooooooaaaah!!”

“Welcome! Welcome!!!”

“It’s the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival!!”

“The Democratic Country’s honorary cardinal crossed the border himself! Barefoot! What’s going on?! Huh?! Hahahahahaha!”

“We love you! We love you! Saint of Sacrifice and Revival!”

I expected some kind of welcoming crowd, but I hadn’t imagined it would be this massive. It was enough to make me wonder whether all of them had been influenced by the Republic's propaganda show.

Yeah, this would be good. The peace delegation and the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival were being welcomed to this extent. Perhaps everyone else was hoping for an era of peace to begin as well.

But instead of excitement, a sense of unease filled my mind. It wasn’t because of what my senior had told me earlier. It was because I could feel the subtle tension between the soldiers of both nations even from here.

The gathering of such a big crowd meant that the Saint of Sacrifice and Revival had become more exposed to unpredictable turn of events, making everyone more on edge.

Some soldiers had their hands on their shields, while others scanned their surroundings with irritated faces. They were preparing for possible assassination attempts. In response to the shift in the peace delegation, the Republic’s soldiers swallowed nervously.

It seemed the journalists who had come along could feel it too, as even my senior revealed a clearly tense expression. The atmosphere felt like it could explode at any moment. The crowd, however, didn’t seem to notice it at all.

“S-sir...”

Right then, a figure from the Republic’s side slowly walked forward.

Ah.

“...”

“...”

Astonishingly, everyone fell silent. The overwhelming sea of people went quiet as if they had all forgotten to breathe. Those from the Democratic Country said nothing as well, seemingly trying to etch this meeting between the two into their minds. It was like they were trying to catch every word they would speak to each other, or perhaps they were simply being overwhelmed by the atmosphere.

Faced with the meeting of two figures with such boundless presence, I found myself holding my breath without even realizing it.

“Thank you for making the long journey, O Saint of Sacrifice and Revival.”

The Democratic Country’s Honorary Cardinal responded, “Thank you for your hospitality, Hero of Shadows.”

At the same time, the frozen time moved once again, and cheers erupted.

“Wooooooahhhhh!”

It was absurd, but even my senior threw aside his camera and shouted, “This is insane! This is insane! Reporter Bae! This is insane! Something’s about to happen! Something really is about to happen!”

Once again, an idea unknowingly popped up in my mind. 'Th-this event... is going to change my life as a reporter. Yes, this will be the turning point of my life, no matter what anyone says, that much is certain. Yes, without a doubt. An era of great peace will come. An era of complete harmony will arrive.'

1. Reporter Bae’s POV ☜