The Emperor looked down at the old photograph, while Dailan watched him.

Just looking at this hero, who looks so old, is like knowing an old generation that has passed away.

It was a time when it didn't belong to itself, and it didn't belong to Ultramarines and Barbers..... not even the Hero Club.

Delan knows that the Emperor is not a coward or an incompetent man—because times are completely different.

The emperor of that time was faced with enemies and difficulties that she did not know, understand, or even hear of today. It is precisely because of the efforts of him and his companions that these enemies and difficulties do not exist in the current world. Dailan would never let this despise the old hero - people's long-standing love and respect could not be fake.

She also suddenly understood why Bingshui was always smiling like that, very indifferent, and as if she understood a lot of big truths.

Although Bingshui is the daughter of a hero, she did not grab any tangible benefits from this identity, but felt more pressure from it.

Her childhood has been over since she was six or seven years old. From then on, she had to face the evils of this world and society.

While other families are teaching their children to be good and accepted by this society, the emperor is teaching her how to lie, how to deceive, and how to use his words and deeds to stabilize this society.

In order for Ice Water to truly understand why they had to hide their mother's death, the Emperor had to explain everything to her.

Dailan couldn't even imagine how a father, who had suffered the loss of his wife, carefully explained the concept of "death" to a seven-year-old girl, explaining that her mother would never return. Explain to her why no one should know about this, why people would start rumors to hurt their family..... and why they should protect such ignorant humans and society.

After experiencing the pain of separation from life and death from his beloved, the emperor did not choose to take revenge on the society that would harm him, but chose to harm himself and ice water to protect this society; After fully understanding that the "Hero Club" will eventually decay and degenerate, he still chooses to create it to make Hero a profitable profession.

And after understanding the nature of this ugly, perverse, and foolish society, Bingshui chose to complete self-sacrifice to protect the society that indirectly killed her mother, and to protect the foolish people who would definitely hurt her father after knowing the truth.

After knowing the ugliness of the world, he still chose to love the world.

With such a deep and painful realization, Dailan thought, Bingshui was not the daughter of a hero - she was the hero herself.

Ice Water is a silent hero like her father. A hero who is not known and cannot be known, and who keeps vital secrets.

Everyone believes that the "Emperor" is the highest-paid, most successful, and closest hero to the image of the "big man" on the island of happiness. He spent his life trying to teach people three things: doing good deeds is rewarding, risking for others can be greatly rewarded, and using his life to successfully save others can lead to success.

Some people have a lot of criticism about him, thinking that he has smeared the name of "hero"; Some people also believe that it was the emperor who cultivated the hero worship of Happiness Island today, so that the heroes would not shed blood and tears; It has also been claimed that the moral confusion on the island of happiness is caused by the excessive worship of heroes, for which the emperor must be responsible; There are also many people who dream of becoming heroes, just to earn a huge amount of money that they can't earn in a lifetime with a normal job

But no one would know that the "sacrifices" that the emperor made and everyone knew about were nothing more than his performances; And his real and most painful sacrifice is only known to Bingshui in this world.

The Emperor looked at the picture for a long time before he sighed deeply and cautiously put the drawer back and locked it.

He didn't look back, still staring at the composite photo, "What are you thinking, Dailan?"

「…… I'm thinking, it's not easy to be a hero."

"You're wrong, Dairy."

The Emperor's tone was steady: "No one in this world is easy. It's just that you don't know yet

It's not easy for them.

"Everyone has their own shame and pain that they want to hide, and every family has unspeakable contradictions. Those who expose these in the first place are not worthy of pity, and those who remain silent also have their own difficulties. People sympathize with those who are suffering precisely because they subconsciously want someone to sympathize with them when they can't bear it.

"In other words, the stronger the person, the more seriously he is hurt. But someone has to be strong.

"If everyone gave vent to their fears, hatred and pain, then society would be filled with blood and mud. Someone will always hold up the clown's smiling mask at this time and become the target of public criticism; There will also be people who are as silent as stone statues, and bury their hatred and pain with their bodies; There must be someone like the sun

Shine on sentient beings and give people hope that society can be purified.

"Love will be delivered, and so will hatred; Industriousness is contagious, and laziness is also contagious; Wish...... It can infect others, and so can despair."

「…… So, you decided to make that stone statue?"

"Because I can't be the sun."

The Emperor's expression was solemn as usual, without any expression, without any twists and turns: "But there is always someone who can. The stone statue isn't just me, it's not just ice water..... we're just waiting for the sunrise."

"So..... have you waited?"

"—I'll be there."

A leisurely voice came from the door.

Dalan turned her head suddenly—her panicked and fearful gaze looked at the door, only to see someone she would never have imagined.

"Ultramarine, sir!"

Her eyes lit up, "So you're fine!"

"Shhhh

Russell smiled and put his hand to his lips.

There was a mysterious charm in his slightly narrowed dim yellow pupils. "Do you drink Coke?"

The Emperor turned his head, the corners of his mouth slightly raised, and greeted Russell, "I remember the Coke you poured me earlier. I don't hate the smell, like mint wine that isn't intoxicating. So later I bought quite a bit, although I didn't drink it. But I've been freezing it."

"........Oh, that."

Russell raised an eyebrow, "The flavor of ice mint with green apple and aloe vera?"

"Hmm. Because I think you'll come to me sooner or later."

The Emperor spoke calmly.

"Ah, I don't have to."

Russell said casually, "I'm ...... now I don't like Coke that much anymore."

Hearing this, the emperor raised his eyebrows.

He stared at Russell in silence for a moment, and asked a question.

"Are you still you, Ultramarine?"

"Why, did you start doubting me because I didn't like Coke? My hero?"

The smile on Russell's face didn't dim in the slightest: "I just helped you out of the cybersecurity department.

"Forget it, it's a celebration wine - serve Coke, I want ice."