A Warning for the Baron and a Test for the Youngest
The disciples who had gone out to support the people, leading the verification followers, finally returned. The reason I insisted on meeting them face-to-face and looking them in the eye instead of simply handing out money? Because for these people, that method was far more effective than cash. The belief that help would come. The conviction that these heroes would protect them. It wasn’t just about stepping forward in dangerous moments—offering even this simple kind of assistance played a huge role in soothing and stabilizing public sentiment that could easily waver. On top of that, if heroes showed up but the response was just throwing money at the problem, it would look terrible. That sort of thing was better left to ordinary people who weren’t heroes.
So I used money to completely shut the baron’s mouth, making sure he couldn’t utter a single unnecessary word. Meanwhile, the disciples had gone out on foot and thoroughly steadied the people’s hearts. I did things my way, and they did them theirs—each of us in our own fashion.
After finishing lunch, we finally left the western lands behind. We had spent several days here, but I wasn’t too worried. According to what Iris had shown me, we should have wasted over a month in this place originally. That delay would have kept us from reaching the royal capital on time, forcing the disciples to struggle on their own. They had even ended up injured, so the situation must have been dire.
“Hero! Thank you so much!”
“You’re the best, Hero! Please catch all the bad guys!!”
“Farewell! I sincerely hope we’ll meet again someday!”
But this time, that wouldn’t happen. We were heading for the royal capital in just a few days. We hadn’t fallen into that terrifying trap known as the fragments of the past.
We quickened our steps amid the cheers and farewells from the territory’s residents. After sending the main party ahead and just before leaving the lands myself, I called out to the baron.
“Hey, Baron.”
I summoned the man who had at least worked as hard as the payment he received. He approached with a face that showed equal parts worry and expectation. Was something bad about to happen? Or would he get extra rewards for his hard work? His thoughts were written so clearly across his face that I could read them like a book.
“Stop being so greedy. The money I gave you should cover half a year of taxes for this entire territory, shouldn’t it?”
“Ahaha! That’s right! With the sum the esteemed one provided, half a year…”
“It’s a full year, you pig. You really can’t get a single thing right until the very end. Should I just kill you?”
I had tested him once, and sure enough, the man was excessively greedy. If he had modestly said, ‘Actually, it amounts to a full year’s taxes,’ I would have let it slide. There were always people like this—doing fine until they ruined everything at the last moment.
“I-I’m sorry, esteemed one. It is indeed a year’s worth. However, after subtracting various expenditures…”
“Enough. Before I leave, I was thinking of giving you one last gift. Care to receive it?”
“Oh dear. If it’s a gift, I’ve already received more than I deserve.”
“So you’re refusing?”
“If you’re offering, I must accept anything! Of course I will!”
He really was a simple noble, which made him easy to read. That consistency was probably his only real virtue—and his only path to survival.
“Unfortunately, it isn’t money. You’ve already received more than enough of that.”
“Ah, yes. That’s… correct?”
“Instead, I’ll give you one piece of advice. Not mere nagging, but advice that could save your life.”
At first the baron looked sulky when he heard it was advice instead of money. But the moment I said it could save his life, his eyes sparkled. After all, I was the teacher of the heroes; he probably assumed I wouldn’t say anything strange.
“Don’t try to live only for yourself.”
“…Pardon?”
“I know exactly what kind of thoughts you have and what sort of life you’ve led. It’s so obvious I can see it without even looking. I won’t comment on what’s already in the past. But from now on, you should try living together with others. Stop throwing everyone aside so you can hoard everything for yourself.”
“E-esteemed one, what exactly do you mean by…”
“You’re still a noble, so keep an eye on those around you—and what’s behind you as well.”
“…”
“To live, you must live together. If you keep trying to survive alone, I guarantee it—you’ll be dragged away by the dead and turned into a corpse right alongside them. Remember my words.”
I didn’t simply tell him to ‘take good care of the residents’ or ‘manage the territory and public sentiment well.’ He wasn’t the type to listen to such things anyway, and they wouldn’t motivate him. Mentioning the thing he cherished most—his own ‘life’—was far more effective. The warning that trying to live only for himself would get him dragged off by the dead to die together. Since the baron wasn’t a complete fool without any sense, he would understand what I meant.
“Master. I sent a few knights ahead to the royal capital so we can deliver the news in advance.”
“Well done, Gerard. Still, just to be safe, make sure to inform Daisy separately as well.”
“Understood.”
The royal palace hated the idea of heroes approaching the capital so much. Yet, strangely enough, my third disciple, Daisy Blossom, had settled inside the palace itself. How had the Magic Hero Daisy ended up there? Had she shown herself to be particularly useful to the royal family? Or had she become a loyal servant who followed their every command? No, it was neither. She wouldn’t have such reasons.
“Sigh. What’s so great about Third Senior that she stays cooped up in her room all day?”
Iris grumbled and swung her fists with a sharp whoosh. As she said, unlike the other active heroes, Daisy had shut herself away in her room and focused entirely on researching all kinds of magic.
She had converted the Cheonma Shingong I taught her into a mana cultivation method. Thanks to that, she had grown to the point where she could unleash tremendous magic with simple hand gestures alone. She had shattered the complicated, difficult intermediate steps of traditional magic.
Another peculiar thing about Daisy was that she didn’t only research combat magic. She created spells necessary for daily life, magic that would be terribly inconvenient without, and even spells whose purpose no one could quite figure out. She had invented all sorts of strange magic, yet they turned out to be surprisingly useful.
For starters, she had developed a cooling spell for me and Master. It functioned like an air conditioner, and Master had benefited enormously from it. The royal family had probably recognized how useful Daisy was and granted her special permission to reside in the capital.
“Gerard. Is Daisy still refusing to come out of her room much?”
“Unless we specifically request support, that’s usually the case.”
“I see. That must be why the royal family allowed her to stay in the palace. Since she doesn’t take part in active duties, her social reputation isn’t as high as the other heroes. Instead, everyone gets to enjoy a comfortable life thanks to her magic. Sending her out would be a loss for them.”
“As far as I know, the defensive magic covering the royal palace is one of Senior Daisy’s creations as well.”
I had never directly taught Daisy magic. I had simply given her the finest mana cultivation method imaginable—one no one else could imitate—so her talent could bloom faster and more brilliantly than anyone else’s. Of course, since that method showed absurd efficiency once mastered, and since I had modified and adapted the Cheonma Shingong so a magician like Daisy could learn it, I couldn’t exactly say I had done nothing.
“Um, and Master…”
“You don’t have to say it. For someone with the best magical talent, she’s incredibly clumsy and forgets things far too easily, right?”
“…Thanks to that, there have been several occasions when we couldn’t even receive the support we were promised.”
The greatest magician alive, yet she was so clumsy that she caused accidents at the worst possible moments. On top of that, she forgot things so often that she drove everyone around her insane. Yes—the game developers had once again attached a ridiculous setting.
“When we get there this time, I’ll have to give her a proper warning.”
“Please do. Even First Senior Garam has given up on her.”
“No matter what anyone says, she never takes anything seriously.”
I let out a sigh, then my gaze drifted to the back of Iris’s head where she stood in front of me. The more I looked at her, the more I realized she was the one who worried me most.
Even though she had regressed, she had only brought her memories. She hadn’t brought the power or techniques that came with them. She seemed to make some use of those memories in battle, but if her body’s actual strength couldn’t keep up with what her mind remembered, those memories were essentially useless.
“Gerard.”
“Yes, Master.”
“When is the next rest?”
“Well… we rested about three hours ago, so it should be time to stop soon.”
“Then halt immediately. We’ll camp here for the night.”
“Understood, Master.”
“And.”
Gerard, who had been about to issue the stop order, turned back to me. When he asked if there was anything else, I thought for a moment and gave him an appropriate number.
“About… four or so.”
“Pardon?”
“No, never mind. Make it five or six. Pick them from your knights.”
“May I ask the reason? If it’s for guard duty…”
“No. In fact, you should pull them from guard duty. They’ll have something much harder to do.”
I kept my eyes on Iris as I continued.
“It’s about Iris.”
“The youngest?”
“Yes. I want to check her skills again. She performed very well against the Demon God worshippers. But their level was so low that I couldn’t really say she was outstanding.”
“Ah, I see. You want to gauge the youngest’s current ability and give her a proper stepping stone for growth.”
Gerard nodded in understanding.
“Then I will prepare seven of our best fighters.”
After speaking, Gerard brought the entire party to a halt. He then shouted that we would be camping here tonight and that everyone should prepare accordingly. The group moved with perfect coordination, immediately beginning preparations. Once the sun set, the air would turn chilly fast, and pitching tents in the dark would be difficult. It was better to work while the sun still hung on the horizon.
“Iris.”
“Eh? Ah, yes! Master! Did you call me?!”
My idiot disciple came bounding forward. Seeing her bright smile made me suddenly want to give her a good knock on the head.
“Leave your tent to the others and get ready for combat.”
“Huh? Combat? Are enemies attacking us?”
“Not that. I want to check your combat ability once more.”
“But we already did that back in the city when we fought the Demon God worshippers…”
I slowly shook my head at Iris’s words. That time had been more about observing her mindset than her skill—whether she could swing her sword and take lives without hesitation when facing other humans. Since Iris was a regressor, it had been a test she couldn’t possibly fail. After surviving countless desperate battlefields, what could she possibly hesitate to do?
This time, however, I purely wanted to see her combat ability. The knights were skilled in one-versus-many fights, even if they were a bit below Iris’s level. Since she couldn’t simply crush them with overwhelming power like I could, I was curious what kind of showing she would make in this spar.
“Then, what about a reward?”
“…A reward?”
“Yes. If I do well, there should be some kind of prize, right?”
“…If you do well, I’ll allow you to sleep in the same tent as me tonight.”
“R-really? You promise you won’t take it back?!”
“However.”
You can’t just enjoy the carrot, my foolish disciple. For balance, there must be a stick as well.
“However, if you do terribly, be prepared to receive punishment.”
“…What’s the punishment?”
I answered Iris with a bright smile.
“From today until we reach the royal capital, you will stand night watch every single day without exception.”
“Huk?”
“And the shift you’ll take is the very last one.”
“Hiiik?!”