Exiled to the Graveyard of Heroes, I Revived Them All and Now an Unprecedented Nation of Legends Has Been Born - Chapter 18; Interlude

Interlude: The Ideology Pandemic Woman and the Assailants

The story rewinds a little.

Ayla, who had taken on the role of spy, arrived in the Ixion Kingdom’s royal capital, accompanied by her watcher, Zona.

“My, my… there are so many more people here than when I was alive.”

“Well, Ixion is one of the world’s great powers. Its territory covers nearly half the continent. Of course its capital would be crawling with people. Utterly unpleasant, if you ask me.”

“Oh, but why? Doesn’t a bustling city mean countless people have fallen in love and borne children together?”

“The only one worthy of ruling a nation in this world is King Elott, blessed by the goddess herself. These so-called kings who dare claim thrones without her permission—may their countries crumble to dust.”

Zona was the servant of the goddess.

That was why she despised all these nations daring to govern without divine sanction.

But Ayla only shook her head gently.

“No, no, Zona, that won’t do. This world runs on love. Just as you love your goddess, the people of this kingdom love their country.”

“…Spoken aloud, it almost sounds admirable.”

Zona could sense Ayla unconsciously radiating her [Love] power again.

It didn’t affect her—angels were immune—but for an ordinary person, just this short exchange would have been enough to infect them with Ayla’s love-above-all ideology.

Honestly, it was terrifying.

Zona couldn’t fathom why the goddess had ever created something as dangerous as the power of [Love].

“By the way, you ideology-pandemic woman.”

“Oh come on, I’m Ayla. If you don’t remember my name, I’ll cry, you know?”

“Forgive me for asking, but… how exactly do you intend to gather information?”

“Simple. I’ll talk about love, make friends, and then just ask around.”

“…That doesn’t sound like the kind of method where keeping a low profile is a priority.”

Right now, Ayla and Zona were wrapped head to toe in heavy cloaks, hoods pulled low.

Ayla’s golden eyes were unmistakable proof she was a hero, and Zona was an angel—beings spoken of only in myths.

If either of them was recognized, it would cause an uproar.

“Ufufu, it’ll be fine. Just leave it to me.”

With that, Ayla strode boldly into the center of the capital’s plaza and raised her voice to the crowd.

Her voice was so clear and beautiful it seemed to slice right through the air.

“Everyone, won’t you listen to what I have to say?”

A few passersby stopped.

Some were curious about the suspiciously cloaked pair. Others assumed it was the start of some street performance.

Whatever the reason, they all found themselves listening to her.

“Tell me, everyone—what do you think love is?”

The question came so suddenly that people only tilted their heads at first.

But Ayla pressed on.

“Do you love your family? Your lover? Your friends?”

One by one, more people began to stop.

And little by little, the light in their eyes dulled, leaving behind a vacant, hazy look.

Ayla paid it no mind—she simply continued her sermon.

“Love is invisible—and that’s why it can only be felt with the heart!! Love is the foundation of peace, the pillar of equality, the force that shatters discrimination!! Rich or poor, it is the one thing that can fill every heart!!”

Nobody even knew how long Ayla’s speech had been going on anymore.

At some point, the plaza had swelled to hundreds of people, all of them listening intently, hanging on her every word.

But of course, no matter the message, there are always hecklers.

One young man finally couldn’t take it and shouted in anger.

“Shut up already!! What ‘love’?! Stop making a scene in the middle of the day!!”

“……”

“W-What?! I’m not wrong here!!”

Every single head turned toward him at once.

From those blank, glassy eyes, a strange mix of hostility and pity oozed out.

“Hey, that guy…”

“He can’t even understand her wonderful words?!”

“Poor thing…”

“We must help him see the beauty of love!!”

“““Love!! Love!! Love!!”””

The mob with their vacant stares surged toward the young man.

They looked less like citizens and more like undead swarming the living—

But then, a single voice cut through and stopped them.

It was Ayla.

“Everyone, please wait.”

“……”

The crowd froze instantly.

The young man flinched at the eerie sight—but that fear quickly slipped away.

Because Ayla herself had stepped right up to him.

Even as dread gnawed at him from the strange atmosphere around them, he forced himself to glare back at her.

And then Ayla spoke—

“You’ve been carrying pain in your heart, haven’t you?”

Her smile was gentle, her voice soft—like a saint reaching out with boundless compassion.

Before he could react, she wrapped her arms around him.

His face sank into her soft, generous chest, and just like that, all will to resist crumbled away.

While stroking his head with a tender hand, Ayla continued in that calm, soothing voice.

“If you’re hurting, tell me everything. I’ll accept it all—and I will love you.”

“A-Ah… I-I left home after a fight with my family… my girlfriend dumped me… my friends said they were done with me… and then I even lost my job…”

The young man began spilling his troubles in a broken, halting voice.

When he finally finished, Ayla gently stroked his head once more.

Then she leaned down and whispered softly into his ear.

“Family, lovers, friends—you think you’ve lost all of them, that there’s nothing left for you to love. But that’s a huge mistake. There’s one thing you’ve never learned to love.”

“T-The one thing…?”

“Yourself. Self-love is still love. It’s not something shameful—it’s one of the most important kinds. To affirm yourself, to accept yourself… that’s where love begins.”

“M-Myself…”

The young man’s eyes widened as if struck by lightning.

“Now, come—join us. Speak of love together with us.”

“Y-Yes!!”

It was like he’d become a completely different person—his sour expression gone, replaced by a radiant smile as he nodded eagerly at Ayla’s words.

From there, things spread with terrifying speed.

People carried Ayla’s words back to their families, lovers, and friends. Anyone who resonated even a little with her message found themselves shedding tears, rushing to Ayla, and joining her cause.

And just like that, her ideology began to spread—unstoppable.

Soon, commoners and nobles alike were gathering under Ayla’s banner, until she had amassed a force that could only be called a movement.

All this in just a single month.

“…Something’s wrong.”

One evening, in a luxurious suite provided by her followers, Ayla sat with her lips pursed, lost in thought.

Zona tilted her head.

“I agree—it is strange. Despite nearly a third of the capital’s population being your followers, not a shred of information about their weapons has surfaced.”

“No, that’s not it!!”

“…Then what is it, you ideology-pandemic woman?”

With a rare look of seriousness, Ayla spoke.

“Back when I was younger, I could’ve spread the wonder of love across the whole country in a month.”

“That contagiousness is basically pandemic-level now.”

“And yet, after a whole month, only about thirty percent of the capital’s residents have joined… this is odd.”

“…Hmm.”

Seeing Ayla downcast, Zona glanced out the window at the passing crowd. Her eyes suddenly flashed gold.

“Could it be… no, impossible. But this reaction—there’s no doubt.”

“Zona, something wrong?”

“…Never mind. Ideology-pandemic woman, continue to spread your plague among the humans.”

Just then—

“Excuse me, Lady Ayla!! I have a report!!”

“Oh? What is it?”

One of Ayla’s followers rushed into the room.

“A radical faction attacked the mansion of a high noble who was plotting to suppress us!! It’s a revolution!!”

“Oh my… violence is no good, you know?”

“This isn’t mere violence!! It’s the violence of love—necessary to make them understand the wonder of love!!”

“Ufufu, then that’s reassuring.”

“I don’t see anything reassuring about that.”

Zona considered the situation. 

Even if thirty percent of the capital supported Ayla, an uprising of unarmed commoners would be easily crushed. Still, some chaos was inevitable.

And in that chaos, there might be a chance to slip into the royal castle and steal information about the kingdom’s weapons.

“Then I’ll slip into the royal castle and—”

“Not gonna happen, yo.”

“!?”

Before they realized it, someone was already standing in the doorway.

A small girl wearing a creepy mask.

“Oh my, and you are?”

“First time meeting, ne. Nice to meet you, Ayla.”

“You dare speak so casually to Lady Ayla!?”

“Oops. Sorry, ne.”

With that same lighthearted tone, the masked girl glanced at the Ayla follower who had grabbed her—

“You’ve already served your purpose, so I’ll kill you now, ne. Thanks for guiding me this far.”

“Wha—”

The next instant, the follower’s head rolled across the floor.

A heartbeat later, blood erupted from the neck, painting the room crimson.

Zona instantly marked the girl as an enemy.

She swung her fist, strong enough to shatter stone, straight at the girl’s face.

But the girl caught it in her bare hand.

“Dangerous, ne. This is why I don’t like angels—they’ve got such short tempers, na.”

“…How do you know my identity? No—this presence…”

“Sharp one, ne. Though you’re not my target this time.”

“—Ayla!! Run, now—”

“Too late, yo.”

Zona snapped her head toward Ayla.

But all that remained… was Ayla’s lifeless body, her head already rolling across the ground.

“—Holy Flash Lightning!!”

In an instant, Zona unleashed countless bolts of lightning at the masked girl.

At the same time, she scooped up Ayla’s severed head and torso, threw off her cloak, and dove out the window.

Her pure white wings spread wide, carrying her away at incredible speed.

She braced herself for pursuit—

…But nothing came.

(…I failed. With Ayla dead, the people of the capital should return to their senses. That means the information-gathering mission is a complete failure… I won’t be able to face the king. And above all—there’s that girl.)

Zona couldn’t begin to fathom how the masked girl had managed to kill Ayla so effortlessly.

But deep down, she had an idea who that girl really was.

(First, I must report to King Elott. After that… I’ll have to act on my own as well.)

With her wings beating furiously, Zona fled the capital.

She kept a wary eye on her surroundings, prepared for pursuit, as she sped toward the Great Pit.

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[Afterword]

A Random Tidbit

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