Not Resurrection?
"Wasn't it resurrection?"
'What do you mean?'
'Exactly what I said. You'll have to talk to your disciple for the details. I'm not entirely sure myself.'
'Stop beating around the bush and just tell me.'
'I don't know either. Don't raise your fist.'
'Can't help it?'
'Planning to mercilessly beat up this old body of mine? Ho ho ho…'
'You punched a legion commander older than you.'
'I'm not a legion commander. And if we're talking age, aren't you older?'
"Hmm…"
Thud. Thud.
On the way from Bahamart's Villa to the Training Grounds, I mulled over what Bahamart had said.
The current generation of heroes is similar to me. I hadn't quite grasped it at first, but the more I thought about it, the more it started to make sense.
"Come to think of it…"
Spending time with my disciples gave me this strangely familiar feeling. Not that the people themselves were familiar, but their whole vibe?
It was a sensation I'd never experienced in 300 years, and some of the words they tossed around even felt oddly nostalgic.
"It was the quests."
I send the heroes on errands and hand out rewards. The goddess handles the rewards herself, but it felt so damn familiar that I started calling them quests. The weird part? No one questioned the term.
'As if it had always been called a quest from the start.'
Thud. Thud. Thud…
"Quests, heroes who resurrect even after death, heroes from another world, fearlessness…"
Why is that old hag—the goddess—taking this strategy now, after the Demon King is dead? Is the heroes' easy resurrection really just her power alone? Even saints can't perform resurrections lightly.
"Ughhh…"
Things were starting to click into place. Just one key hint, and I'd reach the conclusion…
"Familiar. So damn familiar… No way?"
"Lea-nim?"
"St… Nah, that's a bit much."
"Lea-nim?"
"No way that's possible now. I've already tried hundreds of times. Doesn't make sense."
"Lea-nim!"
"Uh, yeah?"
I blinked. Somehow, I'd wandered up to NyaNya's room, and she was looking down at me, clutching a thick grimoire to her chest.
"Wha? Done already?"
"Heris-nim had a schedule, so class ended here for today."
"You still gotta do more."
"…We've already done 10 hours."
NyaNya said it with a weary face. Haring had been getting her ass kicked in training too, but NyaNya was no slouch either.
I stretched out my arm and patted her head. She bowed her head, staring into space.
"Thank you."
"Something popped up again, huh."
"Y-Yeah. It did."
"……"
"Why?"
Now I could tell without her grabbing at thin air. Whenever I gave an order or mission, a blue panel appeared in the heroes' vision. Only they could see it, and I couldn't unless I grabbed the spot myself. Even then, it just showed —.
"What's your hometown like?"
"Y-Yes?! Wh-Why my hometown all of a sudden…"
"Just curious. Happens sometimes."
"R-Right. Um… There are tons of really tall buildings."
"…?"
"Steel carriages that go super fast, and really long ones too. It's pretty peaceful, in its own way."
"Yeah?"
"Yes…"
NyaNya answered with a tense face, her hands even trembling. What was there to get so worked up about?
I crossed my arms and nodded.
"…Feels familiar."
No matter how I turned it over, only one conclusion fit.
"Earth."
"…Huh? Oh, yeah! That's the name of our home—Earth."
The round planet. Earth.
Right after death—or rather, resurrection—Haring chugged cold water to clear her head, then frowned at the whisper chat.
NyaNya rarely freaked out like this.
"What?!"
Haring bolted upright in bed.
Emergency. No, ultra-mega-super-emergency.
Someone might say it's just asking about hometowns, but Haring and NyaNya were top rankers. They'd roamed everywhere searching for Lea, gained tons of experience, and especially heard warnings from Evan, the Hero Forum's advance scout.
Evan had said:
'A high-level NPC asking about your hometown means the Red Pill event is about to trigger.'
'Solution? None. Hide so not even a hair shows, or pray you beat the 1/10 odds.'
The Red Pill event Evan had warned about so gravely was imminent. Even as Lea's beloved disciples, no one knew what would happen. High-level NPCs like this were rare to begin with.
Haring dashed out of bed to find Evan. He was taking a breather on a bench amid trainee knights.
"Evan-nim!"
"What is it?"
"We're screwed!"
"Screwed?"
"Totally fucked! Lea-nim started asking about hometowns."
"Oh, shit."
Evan jumped up. He spun a quick excuse to the vice-captain in five seconds and bolted from the Training Grounds without hesitation. Haring chased after in confusion.
"W-Wait. That bad?"
"That bad."
"But Lea-nim seems nicer than expected. Maybe nothing happens?"
"…Haring-nim. Listen up."
"Yes?"
"This is my first time seeing a Red Pill from an NPC at that level."
"…What? You said you've seen tons."
"I have."
Evan kept speed-walking while talking—couldn't run in the palace. Sweat beaded on his forehead.
"But those were nobles, knights, or princes. Never something transcendent like that."
"…So?"
"Nobles or knights get mad? You die once or get banned from territory. But a dragon?"
"Ah."
"Die dozens of times, or get husked forever. Best to dodge."
Thud. Thud. Thud.
"Th-Then we never come back? Quit knighthood?"
"Dodge for now. Red Pill events don't last forever. About a month… but dragon? Who knows."
"……"
"If you're bailing, now's the time. Too late, no escape."
"…Desertion's iffy."
"Well, stay if you want."
Thud.
Evan and Haring reached the palace's secret door—the one he'd used for Haring and NyaNya before.
Clunk! It opened, and he crossed without looking back, heading outside.
"You don't have ties, but they might. As disciples, there's hope…"
"Might?"
"Sometimes you even profit if you play it right. Red Pill isn't all bad."
"……"
"Anyway, I'm out. Contact if it goes well."
"Okay. But why the speech?"
"Panic mode. See ya."
Bam!
Alone after Evan left, Haring pondered. Bail now through the door? Or risk it and stay by Lea's side?
Lifetime choice, but she turned back. Worried about NyaNya leaving her behind…
"Might even profit?"
Could get closer to Lea from this. Haring figured Lea wouldn't harm them. Scold for past annoyances, maybe, but not disciples she'd promised more attention to.
"I trust Lea-nim."
With firm faith, Haring headed to Lea.
…
"No wonder you lived so recklessly."
"Huh?"
"Not real bodies, so you slacked off? That it?"
"N-No, that's not…"
"Then what?"
Something was going wrong.
＊
"Then what?"
I was seriously pissed right now.
Heroes acting cocky 'cause they're immortals? Fair, with that power.
Their hometown being my old world, Earth? Makes sense too. Old hag might think Earthlings suit heroes.
Kinda miffed she didn't tell me sooner, but.
'But.'
"Wasn't it resurrection?"
Real bodies on Earth, just souls summoned. Explains the casual resurrections.
'If infinite revives were possible, she'd have used it ages ago.'
I couldn't believe the old hag's moves. Gacha obsession aside, this turns the world into one big game board.
"Game?"
"L-Lea-nim! Calm down…"
"Master! We're serious. Unlike other heroes, we're fully immersed—"
"Shut it, all of you."
"Yep."
"Y-Yes."
Game… game… Why hadn't I thought of it sooner? It was predictable. I think I had, but brushed it off.
Reincarnation was 300 years ago. I hadn't uttered that word since 70 years back.
"…Status Window."
[---]
"Still nothing…"
[---]
[--]
[-]
…
[......]
Script disablement released.
Status Window unlocked.