Everything for the Master
The carriage carrying the master rattled away, passing through the castle gates and leaving the Royal Capital behind. The Heroes stood in silence, watching it go. Not a single word was spoken as they kept their eyes fixed on the shrinking carriage until it vanished completely beyond the horizon.
The first to speak was Garam, the Sword Hero.
“Everyone remembers what Master said, right?”
“Why would we forget something he just told us?”
“Of course, Senior Sister.”
“We got lucky this time and took out a good chunk of the enemy’s forces. But it’s not over. In fact, one of them escaped after seeing half of our strength. They know they’re at a disadvantage, so they’ll probably change their strategy from now on. A lot.”
Everyone from Jenia to Lily nodded at Garam’s words. Until now, the Demon God Worshippers had always come to them while the Heroes were busy hunting monsters and demonic beasts. After all, the Heroes were thorns in their side, constantly clearing away the despair that was meant to spread across the world. Removing them was the only way to strengthen the Enemy’s Will directed at the world.
“I’ll be honest. The Enemy’s Will Master mentioned is strong. Really strong. Master said the one Lily, Jenia, and I fought couldn’t even use half its full power. Even so, it was still powerful. I almost ended up being a burden to you all.”
“That’s not true, Senior Sister Garam. You fought magnificently.”
“Lily’s right. I wouldn’t have stood a chance alone.”
“…Thanks, both of you. Anyway, even though it only grabbed me by the neck, the damage to my body was severe. Lily, could you explain the rest?”
At Garam’s request, Lily Hyacinth, the Holy Hero, stepped forward.
“According to Senior Sister Garam, it only grabbed her by the neck. But from what I saw, an enormous amount of demonic energy had already invaded her body. That means even simple contact can cause serious harm to us. If Senior Sister Garam had allowed any further attacks…”
Lily paused for a moment, swallowed dryly, and continued.
“…At the very least, severe injuries. In the worst case… she could have died.”
“That’s the kind of beings we have to face with the ‘Enemy’s Will.’ We managed to take one down, but another one appeared. Don’t get me wrong—this isn’t about blaming the third, fourth, or fifth. Even Master didn’t foresee its appearance. It was beyond our control. What matters is this: how strong is it? How lethal is it to us?”
“…”
“That’s why Master told us to move in pairs of two. To prepare for any situation. If Master is being this cautious, there’s a good reason for it. So everyone, stay sharp. One idiot getting caught off guard is enough. Don’t get yourselves hurt worse and make the sixth work harder, or make Master worry. Everyone understands?”
The gathered Heroes all nodded.
“Let’s stick to the plan. Daisy and Lily will remain on standby in the Royal Capital. Jenia and I will stay here until my wounds are fully healed. Gerard and Iris will depart immediately.”
“Understood, Senior Sister.”
“Got it.”
“Don’t forget—our enemies aren’t the only ones we need to watch out for. We also have to be wary of allies who are worse than our enemies. Those are the ones who’ll cause the biggest problems later. If you meet someone using the title of Hero to cause trouble, execute them on the spot. This isn’t about the royal family or anything else. It’s about our honor—and Master’s honor as well.”
At the mention of their master’s honor, a chilling light flashed in the Heroes’ eyes. Their own honor was important, but nothing mattered more than their master’s. If anyone dared to tarnish his name by dragging them into it, the entire group would hunt them down without hesitation.
“If you encounter enemies, think about annihilating them, but also consider the possibility of traps. Right now, their only option is to pick us off one by one. Especially since the Enemy’s Will escaped, they’ll definitely try that. Always assess the situation, and contact us immediately if anything happens. And…”
The next words were difficult for Garam and the other Heroes to say. But what choice did they have? The world was full of unknowns, and they had to prepare for the worst.
“If you’re faced with an impossible situation… one sacrifices themselves, and the other escapes.”
“…”
“…”
“Don’t even think about both of you dying. The one left behind should hold out as long as possible. Or both of you could break away in opposite directions. Throw away any pride or fighting spirit. Especially you, Iris. You’re the one I’m most worried about. This is really directed at you.”
“Ugh. You don’t have to call me out like that in front of everyone, Senior Sister.”
Iris Freesia, the Brawler Hero, wore an awkward expression. Her fiery temperament had already made the others worry about her. Garam clicked her tongue lightly as she looked at her.
“I’m not joking. I’m not playing around either. We owe Master a great debt. So what we have to do is simple. Eliminate any enemies that would harm him and create a peaceful world. And if we’re lucky enough to stay by his side, we’ll quit being Heroes and just live quietly next to him. To make that happen, we have to survive and value ourselves.”
Garam continued speaking for a while longer—words of encouragement, reminders that they had done well so far and could keep doing so. As the senior sister above them all, her words carried weight.
“Let’s become disciples who aren’t ashamed of Master’s efforts.”
With those final words, the Heroes dispersed.
“Lily and I will head to the Royal Palace then.”
“Please try to stay calm while you’re there, Daisy.”
“I’m already just sitting still and meditating, Senior Sister Jenia.”
Daisy herself knew she was quite clumsy. She had tried to fix it and steeled her mind as much as possible, but her character was simply like that, so there was nothing she could do.
“Senior Sister. Iris and I will depart today.”
“Don’t forget what I said. Look after Iris. Last time, she got caught in a trap and even Master had to step in. It’s a good thing things worked out, otherwise I wouldn’t have let it slide.”
“I’ll keep that in mind. Iris also understands the gravity of the situation. She was one of the ones who faced the Enemy’s Will directly.”
“That’s exactly why I’m more worried. I’m afraid she’ll feel responsible for what we missed and try to handle it alone.”
“I’ll keep an eye on her.”
“…Alright. If you’re with her, Fourth, I feel a bit more at ease.”
With a reassuring smile, Gerard left with Iris. As planned, the two would depart the Royal Capital today and head north. They would eliminate any remaining Demon God Worshippers along the way and investigate whether there were signs of anything else being planned.
“…How’s the wound on your neck?”
After all the other Heroes had left, only Garam and Jenia remained. They both harbored feelings for the same man, making them rivals, yet they understood each other better than anyone else. That was why Namgung Hyeon had deliberately paired them together.
“It’s almost healed. Just a trace left.”
“It’s not just the outside that’s the problem. What about the inside?”
At Jenia’s sharp question, Garam let out a groan. After a moment of thought, she sighed.
“It’s uncomfortable whenever I circulate my energy. But that’s all.”
“Do as Master said. Let’s rest in the Royal Capital for a few more days and see how it goes.”
“That’s the plan. I don’t want to ruin things with pointless stubbornness.”
“Why? Afraid I’ll catch you slipping behind me?”
“…There’s that too, but we’ve already caused Master enough worry.”
Just as Garam was about to turn away, her fox ears perked up as if sensing something strange. Still facing away, she slowly spoke.
“…What’s the meaning of this?”
Jenia’s spear was pointed at Garam.
“No meaning. I just want to try something simple.”
“If we get injured while sparring, it’ll hurt our overall strength.”
“Let’s agree not to use bets.”
“…”
“Don’t misunderstand. If we understand each other’s levels even a little, we might get better results later. Grandmaster even said something similar to us.”
“It seemed more like she was just making excuses for us to fight.”
“…Well, there’s that too, but anyway.”
With a heavy thud, Jenia planted her spear into the ground. As the Spear Hero, the weapon she wielded was truly imposing. It was a massive jet-black spear that would normally require three adult men to swing—the beloved weapon of this slender elf.
“It’ll be harder than you think to gauge our levels without using bets.”
With a soft shing, Garam drew her sword, her fox tail swaying. It was the first gift she had received from Namgung Hyeon on the day he took her in. Since then, she had never let it leave her side. To Garam, it was like an extension of herself.
“Everything is for that one person.”
“Yeah. Everything is for Master.”
In this moment, they would think of each other as enemies and give it their all. That was for his sake—and for their own.
Thud! Thud!
No signal was needed to start. With all the time they had spent together, a single glance was enough. Without either one going first, Garam and Jenia—the fox beastkin and the elf—kicked off the ground and soared into the air simultaneously. A pure white blade and a jet-black spear clashed, sending sparks flying.
While the Heroes were moving with all their might, what was their master, Namgung Hyeon, doing?
‘…How did this happen?’
It was nothing special. He was just standing there blankly in one spot.
‘How the hell did I end up here?’
He had clearly come to the south to “work”—to support the seventh and the youngest, and to find a way to reach the Fragment of the Demon God. Yet the place he stood was under a clear sky, on a white sandy beach where waves crashed against the shore.
‘And after all that talk about a lake, why the sea all of a sudden…?’
It felt like he had been hit in the back of the head multiple times. What? What on earth was going on? How had he ended up here?
“Ahem. Ahem!”
A very familiar cough sounded from behind him. …He had a rough idea of what situation was about to unfold, so he braced himself. Slowly turning his head, he had to suck in a sharp breath.