Chapter 79

Chapter 79. The Moon Swallowed by the Sun (1)

Holy Mark.

A divine blessing that every hero possesses, a power that allows mere mortals to wield magic and reach the realm of the gods.

This Holy Mark is divided into seven types based on the god who bestowed the blessing.

Sun, Moon, Star, Sky, Earth, Sea, and Forest.

Of course, there is also the “Holy Mark of the Devil God,” created by the Devil God’s blessing, but generally, when heroes speak of Holy Marks, they refer to the seven bestowed by these gods.

So, what differences exist based on these Holy Marks?

To cut to the chase, the conclusion is that “there isn’t much of a difference.”

Of course, depending on the type of Holy Mark, the nature of the magic might be more destructive, delicate, or flexible, but in the grand scheme, they are all just Holy Marks with no decisive differences.

The continent’s foremost Holy Mark researcher, Jade Bastian, once made an analogy.

Holy Marks are like differences in “skin color.”

Just as people in the southern part of the Empire have dark skin, those in the Holy Kingdom have exceptionally pale skin, and those in the Republic have yellow skin.

Though skin color varies by race, they are all still “human,” just as the type of Holy Mark may differ, but they are all still “Holy Marks.”

But because of this.

But therefore.

The history of discrimination based on these “Holy Marks” has never ceased since heroes first appeared in the world.

Among them, the two most avoided Holy Marks by heroes are the Holy Mark of the Moon God and the Holy Mark of the Forest God.

The reason these two Holy Marks are treated as half-baked and scorned among heroes is simple.

None of the “Five Great Heroes” who sealed the Devil God 500 years ago and saved humanity possessed the Holy Mark of the Moon God or the Forest God.

Reynaldo, the Sun’s Sword, had the Holy Mark of the Sun God.

The Great Sage Julius had the Holy Mark of the Sea God.

Iron Fist Ryu Jinseong had the Holy Mark of the Earth God.

Divine Spear Baek Seunghyeok had the Holy Mark of the Star God.

Grace, the Light of Life, had the Holy Mark of the Sky God.

Of course, during the Devil God War, heroes with the Holy Mark of the Moon God and the Forest God also fought valiantly against the Devil God’s army, but what later generations remember are only the achievements of the “Five Great Heroes.”

The “Holy Mark discrimination” that began for such a trivial reason.

This discrimination became even more prevalent among the long-standing noble families and the powerful.

At the end of this long history of discrimination, a technique was created: the “Holy Mark Replacement Technique.”

A technique that overlays another’s Holy Mark onto one’s original Holy Mark.

Of course, this technique was shelved almost immediately after its creation without being properly implemented.

The Holy Kingdom vehemently opposed the sacrilegious idea of artificially altering the Holy Mark bestowed by the gods, but the bigger reason was the significant “flaw” of this technique.

A Holy Mark is not just a vessel for magic power.

A Holy Mark contains the soul of its owner.

What would happen if such a Holy Mark were arbitrarily replaced with another’s?

Memory confusion, physical changes were the basics, and in severe cases, seizures could occur, often leading to death before the procedure was even completed.

Thus, the “Holy Mark Replacement Technique” became a forbidden art, banned, and now, only scholars specializing in Holy Marks know of its existence, making it a forgotten technique.

But why.

“You’re going to overlay my brother’s Holy Mark…?”

I looked at my mother with trembling eyes.

My mother nodded with an excited expression.

“Yes. Fortunately, Yuren’s Holy Mark has been kept by the family. There will be no issues with the procedure.”

“N-no, that’s not it…”

“Yurina, you’ve been working so hard to imitate Yuren all this time, haven’t you? Training in swordsmanship every day without rest, always under the pressure to be number one.”

My mother stroked my cheek with a pitiful expression.

“But if you receive Yuren’s Holy Mark, you won’t have to work so hard anymore.”

No more.

“You won’t have to imitate the Sun.”

“……”

Beeeeep.

A ringing echoes in my ears.

My vision blurs.

My throat tightens, and I can’t breathe.

I knew.

I knew that what my mother wanted wasn’t me.

That I, with the Holy Mark of the Moon God, could never become the “Sun.”

I knew, but I ignored it.

I clung to a rotten thread of hope and desperately denied it.

The fact that this day would come.

“Mo…m.”

No.

“…Mother.”

“Why are you acting like this? You’re not saying you won’t undergo the procedure now, are you?”

My mother’s eyes, which had been warm just moments ago, turned cold.

“Have you forgotten who caused your brother’s death?”

“……”

“If you hadn’t asked Yuren to pick that flower from the cliff that day, this wouldn’t have happened.”

My mother’s words pierced my heart sharply.

From the reopened wound, the memory of that day surfaced.

“Brother! Can you pick that flower for me?”

It was when I followed my brother to the Spirit Mountain, where the past heads of the Helios family were buried.

I pointed to a flower precariously blooming on the cliff and tugged at my brother’s sleeve.

Unaware that picking that flower could lead to disaster.

The clueless little girl even cried and begged her brother.

And then.

“If only… if only you weren’t here! If only you weren’t heeeere!!!”

My brother died.

The hope of the Helios family vanished so vainly, so futilely.

From this world.

“Ha, haha.”

Yes.

This is punishment.

A punishment for the irreversible ignorance of a 10-year-old girl.

“…I’ll do it.”

I nodded weakly.

Satisfied with my answer, my mother smiled gently.

“There’s someone I want to introduce you to.”

“…?”

Tilting my head, I watched as my mother pulled out a communication magical tool from her pocket.

As she channeled magic into the palm-sized orb, a clear light emerged, and an image appeared.

[Hello? Nice to meet you. I’m Faust.]

A man with snow-white hair and golden monocle glasses.

“Faust is far more skilled in Holy Mark research than even ‘Jade Bastian.'”

“……”

Is this the person who will transplant my brother’s Holy Mark into me?

I stared at the white-haired young man on the screen, my lips tightly sealed.

The young man, who introduced himself as Faust, smiled gently and spoke in a calm voice.

[Haha. There’s no need to worry. None of the people who have undergone the ‘Holy Mark Replacement Technique’ with me have ever had seizures or anything like that.]

“……”

[Of course, since it’s a risky procedure, there are some minor side effects.]

“…What are the side effects?”

At my question, Faust shrugged.

[First, some memories may disappear as the Holy Mark changes. Ah, don’t worry too much. Only a very small portion of memories will be erased.]

Faust continued with a sly smile.

[People forget what they had for lunch a week ago, right? Even if some memories disappear, you won’t feel much discomfort.]

Watching Faust spout such nonsense, I clenched my fist tightly.

Even if it’s just a portion, losing memories of one’s life can’t be a “minor side effect.”

I wanted to punch that smug face, but there was no way to hit someone on the other side of the screen.

“Is that all for the side effects?”

[There’s one more thing.]

“…What is it?”

[You’re using a disguise magical tool to pretend to be a man, right?]

I nodded, clutching the pendant around my neck.

[While you can adjust your chest size and basic skeletal structure to resemble a man, you can’t change your genitalia, which must have been troublesome.]

“What are you trying to say?”

[If you receive Yuren’s Holy Mark, your body will change, and your ‘gender’ itself will change.]

“…What?”

At Faust’s words, my eyes widened.

My gender itself will change?

Does that mean.

I will never again…

[You won’t have to bother pretending to be a man anymore. Isn’t that a good thing for you, Yurina?]

“……”

Suddenly.

The mannequin I saw at the clothing store with Dale today came to mind.

A mannequin wearing a beautiful, flowing dress.

‘I won’t have to wear that anymore…’

Why is it.

I thought I had already given up on living as “Yurina” long ago.

I thought I had crumpled up all the foolish fantasies of a naive girl and stuffed them in a corner of my heart.

“Ah, uh.”

Why does it hurt so much?

“Yurina.”

My mother hugged me and continued.

“For me, for the Helios family… and for your brother.”

My body feels hot.

The heat spreading through my heart burns my entire body.

“Become the Sun.”

Yes.

As if swallowed by the Sun.

* * *

“Ugh. I can’t believe Professor Lucas was waiting at the dorm entrance.”

I rubbed my head, which had been hit by Professor Lucas, as I entered my dorm room.

I had expected to be called out and beaten up tomorrow for skipping class, but I didn’t expect to get beaten up today.

“By the way, I hope Yuren is okay…”

I told Yuren to hide in the private training grounds today because I didn’t know what Rozanna might do to him, but Yuren said he’d be fine and went to his dorm before I could stop him.

‘Should I send a message?’

I sent a message through the Hero Watch asking if Yuren got in safely.

“Hmm. Asleep?”

Well.

I had been caught by Professor Lucas for so long that quite some time had passed.

‘I’ll ask him in person tomorrow.’

As I took off the Hero Watch and lay down on the bed.

-Ding.

A clear chime from the Hero Watch.

“Huh?”

I got up and turned on the Hero Watch to see a message from Yuren.

The content of the message that appeared on the hologram screen was.

[Dale, can you meet me for a bit right now?]

“…Huh?”

Meet?

At this hour?