I Hate Him

Second-floor lounge, Heero Academy

All of the first generation of Heero Academy students were watching the big screen. The Hero League held a conference to announce the great reform.

From Wood Class Hero to Apprentice Hero, or as people in the live chat called them, Intern Hero.

Bai Xin Yue was the one who announced the reform and what the Hero League would do in the first step of the reform.

In the live chat, there were different kinds of reactions. Many people thought it was a good thing, but there were also many who expressed their disagreement through the live chat.

Kim Hyun-Su enjoyed his lunch while watching the live chat on his smartwatch. For him, the live chat was more interesting than the announcement itself.

Unlike Ye Zhun, who was watching the big screen with a hooked expression. He looked straight at Bai Xin Yue with a loving expression. After all, he was one of Bai Xin Yue's many fans.

"Hey, wake up! She is our master's wife!" Kim Hyun-Su, noticing Ye Zhun's expression, lightly slapped Ye Zhun's head.

"I know! But you can't stop me from admiring my idol!" Ye Zhun snorted in response.

"Tsk, what a hopeless guy," Kim Hyun-Su then turned to the other side and looked at Benjamin. Since his return from the kingdom, Benjamin had changed.

As someone who often communicated with the second prince, Kim Hyun-su could tell that his friend had changed. Especially this morning, Benjamin was usually excited every time Heero came to check on them. But this morning, Benjamin was especially quiet.

Maybe because of the death of his father? Kim Hyun-Su guessed in his head.

But then he shook his head again, remembering the events of this morning. His friend's look at his master this morning was full of disappointment and hatred.

'Oh, does this change have to do with the attack on the kingdom?'

He had heard the whole story from his father. His master was the one who wiped out the army of specters at the moment the giant appeared. 

He even saw the footage of his master turning into a flame bird and wiping out all the specters with Divine Flame.

That was what people called Divine Flame. Healing the injured and burning the damned or specters.

But his master only did it after the king died. If his master had acted earlier...

'Don't tell me that's why he hates master.'

It was understandable because if someone did not know Master well, he would think that Master was a kind person who liked to help people. They would be disappointed if Master did not live up to their expectations.

Maybe he...' Kim Hyun-Su looked at Benjamin who was actually playing with his food.

"Benjamin!" Kim Hyun-Su called out and Benjamin turned to him listlessly.

"Do you have some time? I want to talk to you about something."

"Huh!?" Benjamin blinked his eyes in confusion. He looked into Kim Hyun-Su's eyes and found that he seemed to have something serious to discuss with him.

'I wonder what he wants to talk about?' he thought to himself.

"Sure," Benjamin nodded.

"Hey, Ye Zhun! You are coming too," Kim Hyun-su said, not forgetting to call his other friend.

Among the first generation of disciples, Kim Hyun-su was close to these two guys. They were friends and rivals at the same time. Of course, everyone was a friend, but these two were Kim Hyun-Su's closest friends.

"Huh? Me!? I don't want to, Master is about to give his speech as the new president of the Hero League. I don't want to miss this glorious event!" Ye Zhun shook his head as he motioned for Kim Hyun-Su to leave without him.

Bai Xin Yue might be his idol, but his master was the person he admired the most. Kim Hyun-Su certainly knew this, and in fact, Heero was someone he looked up to as well, aside from his great-grandfather.

Kim Hyun-Su secretly looked at Benjamin. He gritted his teeth and clenched his hand tightly as he and Ye Zhun talked about their master.

"No, you must follow us! I will lend you my smartwatch to watch Master's speech! Just follow us now!" Kim Hyun-Su forcefully dragged Ye Zhun while she complained.

Finally, Kim Hyun-Su took his two friends to his room. By this time, Heero had started his speech, and Ye Zhun was watching it live on the smartwatch.

The three of them sat at a round table, Kim Hyun-Su looking at Benjamin.

"Do you hate Master?" Kim Hyun-Su asked Benjamin directly.

Ye Zhun, who was watching the smartwatch, immediately raised his head and looked at Benjamin with an incredible expression on his face. He blinked his eyes a few times before turning back to Kim Hyun-Su.

"What are you talking about, Hyun-Su? There is no way that Benjamin would hate..."

Before Ye Zhun could finish his words, Benjamin replied, "Yes, I hate him!"

"Huh!?" Ye Zhun looked at Benjamin with his eyes wide open. He could not believe what he had just heard.

"But why?" Ye Zhun blurted out.

"Because Master did not fight for the Regal Kingdom! He hates Master because he blamed Master for his father's death!" It was Kim Hyun-Su who answered Ye Zhun.

"That's right! He has the power to save people! He has the power to save the country! But what did he do? Stay in a building to protect his safe family!? That was f*cking ridiculous!!!" Benjamin erupted in anger.

"If only... If only he made his move earlier, do you think my father would have died?" Benjamin looked at Kim Hyun-Su with reddened eyes.

"As I thought..." Kim Hyun-Su murmured.

Then the room went silent for a moment. What could be heard was Benjamin's heavy breathing.

"I don't really have the right to say this because I'm not in your position. I understand that losing your father must be devastating. Me too, I might go crazy if I suddenly lost my father, but it's not right to blame someone for that!"

Ye Zhun looked into Benjamin's eyes, "Especially our Master, he was not the killer! It was not as if Master knew your father was going to die and did nothing! You should not hate him for that, Benjamin."

"But if..." Benjamin tried to speak up, but he could not find the right words.

Ye Zhun shook his head and suddenly asked, "Do you remember our first day of training in this academy?"

Benjamin frowned and tried to remember that day.

"On that day, he asked us in the Martial Hall, "What is your purpose to become stronger?", do you remember?" Ye Zhun tried to imitate Heero's voice as he repeated the question.

Kim Hyun-Su and Ye Zhun nodded their heads. They remembered, and at that time, everyone basically had the answer, "Hero!" while Benjamin kept his answer in his heart, "To be a knight who would protect the kingdom!

"That day, my answer is a hero. I replied I want to be a strong hero just like Senior Brother Zhou Yi! But it doesn't matter, do you remember Master's words after he heard our answer?"

Kim Hyun-Su and Benjamin exchanged glances. They could not remember.

"He said, "I have the same answer as you when I was young, but it changed after I lost my lover and my friends. I don't want to be a hero, I just want to protect my loved ones. That's the purpose of my power!

Kim Hyun-Su and Benjamin still did not understand what Ye Zhun was trying to tell them.

"Can you imagine? Even though Master had the power to protect those closest to him, he could not protect them. Can you imagine how painful that was?" Ye Zhun continued in a low voice.

Silence filled the room, Benjamin could not argue, and he began to understand what Ye Zhun was trying to tell him.

"Master's actions are understandable, at least to me. Despite the enormous power he has, don't forget that Master is a human being just like us! He's not a god, he has his feelings, and he has his past!" Ye Zhun continued with his view.

Huhu... That is why I want to take him with me to talk to Benjamin. He's quite useful in this regard!

"That's why..." Suddenly, Kim Hyun-Su interjected while nodding his head.

Benjamin and Ye Zhun looked at Kim Hyun-Su. They wanted to know what he was talking about.

"Do you remember the specter attack in the core region? My grandfather told me that Master did not join the battle. He rushed back to Xing District instead of helping the heroes fight the specters!"

Benjamin was startled when he heard this from Kim Hyun-Su's mouth. He did not know about this.

"Ah, no, he's actually the one who discovered the specters in disguise and started killing them. But he went home after that. After listening to Ye Zhun, I begin to understand Master's decision!"