True Colors
True Colors
Dadak.
The hero passed through several villages and arrived at yet another new one.
"It's the Hero-nim!"
"Where? Where?"
"Waaaaa! Look here! Hero-nim!"
Upon reaching the entrance, citizens who recognized the hero gathered and cheered.
Having visited several villages, Jun had already grown accustomed to this sight.
Just as he had in the previous city, he smiled.
He naturally shifted his gaze and waved his hand.
Then the people became overwhelmed and didn't know what to do.
"Kyaa! Hero-nim looked at me!"
"No! He looked at me! And he even waved at me!!!"
"I love you! Hero-nim! Take me!"
Flower petals scattered through the streets.
Wide, soft leaves covered the path where the hero's procession would pass.
Eager citizens threw off their outer garments or pulled out their underwear and flailed them wildly above their heads.
There was even someone who charged forward trying to touch the hero and got subdued.
What was the hero to the people of this country?
Hero Im Jun had only ever heard about the Demon King through word of mouth.
Throughout the march so far, he hadn't even seen a trace of a demon or its minions.
He had occasionally subjugated wild beasts that attacked, but there had been no threat beyond that.
Thus, he could not understand the kingdom's people.
He couldn't.
It was said that long before the hero came, the Demon King had stayed silent, never leaving the same region.
Centuries had passed, and among the current human population, no one had ever seen a demon.
But the hero did as he was told, so he simply acted.
When was it?
Not long after the hero had been summoned.
While learning about the history of Glacius, he was able to hear about the previous hero.
"The first Hero-nim, like Jun-nim, was also summoned from another world with the will of the Goddess-nim."
The first hero.
"Through the kingdom's fervent support, the Hero-nim subjugated the Demon King and vanquished evil. Thus, we have been able to live in safety until now."
"What happened after that?"
"After that?"
"After he subjugated the Demon King, how did the hero live?"
"There are no official records, but according to a story that has been passed down, the Goddess-nim granted one wish to the hero who defeated the Demon King. It's an interesting tale."
"A wish..."
It was said that no one knew about the later life of that so-called first hero.
Where he lived.
With whom he started a family.
When he died.
Not even the cliché story of living happily ever after.
The hero thought of one question.
"If, after the final battle with the Demon King, you happen to meet the Goddess-nim, what wish would you make?"
"I..."
As he was lost in thought.
Hihing—.
The horse stopped.
"We welcome you to our village, Hero-nim."
An old man stood blocking the way.
"Thank you for the hospitality."
"I am the village chief of Pinmin Village. I have prepared a small banquet for the Hero-nim, so I sincerely hope you will grace us with your presence."
The hero looked at Sophia.
"We have time, so attending would be wise. Seeing the Hero-nim mingle with the people will leave a good impression on both the Goddess-nim and His Majesty."
"And the troops?"
"I will give them personal free time. Let them loose while keeping them from causing trouble in the village—it will invigorate the village and boost the soldiers' morale."
"Then let's do that."
The hero relayed the order and dismounted from his horse.
"I look forward to it. I'll visit you at the banquet."
When he offered a handshake, the village chief beamed.
"Yes! Although it's not on a grand scale, I'm sure you'll be satisfied!"
There was still time until evening.
Jun finally had some personal time for the first time in a while.
Since he couldn't walk around bare-faced, he put on a small disguise.
He told Sophia he was going to observe the common folk, but in truth there was no such cumbersome meaning.
He just wanted to escape the stifling atmosphere and feel a moment of freedom.
So he walked the streets.
A village that wasn't very large, but suitably quiet.
The atmosphere wasn't bad.
The streets were clean, and the people felt friendly.
As he walked further into the outskirts, the street that had been bustling until moments ago became quiet.
It seemed he had drifted into an area with only locals.
"Thief!"
It's a place where people live, so of course there was commotion.
Someone had stolen something from a shop and fled.
The shop owner came out shouting, and the direction was toward Jun.
A dark-skinned little kid was running, clutching a handful of bread.
The child kept glancing forward and backward, fleeing in zigzags.
Jun predicted where the kid would run and stood in his path.
Pok—.
"Waaah!"
"Gotcha!"
He caught the brat who ran straight into his arms.
Careful not to let the bread fall to the ground.
"Ugh! Let go!"
"Aigo! You ill-mannered little brat! Mister, thanks for catching this thieving kid!"
As the bakery owner tried to take the child away, Jun felt a pang of pity.
"How much are all the bread this child stole?"
"Huh? You're paying? Well, I'm grateful. I was about to throw it all away, so this works out."
Jun paid instead.
"Don't steal from now on."
He vigorously rubbed the child's head.
"... Thank you."
The kid wore a sulky expression.
When Jun tried to leave, the child grabbed him from behind.
"Ajussi! This."
"Bread? For me to eat?"
Judging by the shabby appearance, the kid must have stolen because he was hungry, yet he offered food in return.
He didn't seem like a fundamentally bad child.
"Don't give it to me. You eat a lot."
Jun met his eyes, bent down, and patted his head again.
"There. I can't do much, but buy some bread with this and eat tomorrow too."
And he pressed a small coin into the child's hand.
It wasn't a lot, but it should be enough to fill his stomach for a few days.
The kid's eyes grew moist, and he bowed excessively, over and over.
As Jun left, he thought.
Demon King, my ass.
"Hero-nim, you're back early."
"Sophia. Take the funds I was planning to use for my share of tonight's banquet and donate them to the temple in this village."
"Did something happen? Your expression looks grim."
"Nothing like that. If I donate to the temple, they'll handle the relief work themselves, right?"
"Yes. The Goddess-nim watches over everyone in Glacius."
He wondered if this would help even a little.
Jun worried whether he would be able to digest anything at the banquet.
"Welcome, Hero-nim. This way."
He headed to the banquet hall earlier than the scheduled time.
People were busy preparing.
It seemed all the important figures of the village and high-ranking people from neighboring villages were gathering.
Wajangchang—!
"Hey! What's going on!"
"You little bastard!"
Something had happened in the kitchen.
"Is there a problem?"
The hero asked the village chief.
"Ah, no. It seems there's a small commotion. I'll settle it immediately."
The village chief hurriedly rushed into the kitchen.
But the noise didn't subside easily.
"Kyaa!"
A child's scream was heard.
Finally, the hero entered the kitchen.
A worker was holding a child's arm and shouting.
"He... Hero-nim!"
"Would you explain the situation?"
"This little brat must have heard rumors about the banquet and came into the kitchen trying to steal ingredients. I caught him..."
"And that's why you made the child's face like this?"
To the point where the original face was unrecognizable.
"Ah, no! Even if I were that kind of person, I wouldn't hit a child! I was just scolding him appropriately. His face was already like this."
The worker was dripping with cold sweat.
He wasn't lying.
But something about the child felt familiar.
"Ah... Ajussi..."
"?!"
Dark skin. Shabby appearance.
The kid the hero had bought bread for a few hours ago.
"You... don't tell me earlier...?"
He had definitely given him bread and some money, even if little.
But to steal again in less than a day.
Was the child not as good-natured as Jun had thought?
"What happened?"
"...."
"It's okay. I won't scold you. I promise."
The child began to wipe his tears.
"They took it away... All of it... Hukkk."
Listening to the story, it turned out that another poor person had seen him with an armful of bread and violently taken it from him.
Even the coin Jun had given him.
He couldn't help but feel angry.
"Where are your parents?"
"I don't have any..."
This was not the time to enjoy a banquet.
Everyone noticed that the hero's mood had turned severely sour.
"Does this village not have an orphanage?"
The hero asked the village chief.
"Well... I know the temple runs a small one..."
He asked the child again.
Where was he staying?
How many more children were in similar situations?
Each time he heard the answer, the village chief wanted to crawl into a mouse hole.
"Village Chief-nim."
"Yes..."
"There will be no banquet tonight. You know what you need to do, don't you?"
"Yes... I will provide extensive support to the orphanage and work to ensure no child lives in unfortunate circumstances..."
"I'm glad you understand."
He didn't say why they had been neglected until now.
Instead.
"Distribute the food prepared for tonight's banquet equally to everyone who comes."
"Understood."
"And after I leave this village and catch the Demon King, when I return to Pinmin Village, I expect to see it in a different state than it is now."
"... I will keep that in mind."
The hero sent people to bring those starving for meals from the orphanage and the slums and fed them to their fill.
Before leaving the village, he sent a communication to the royal palace, expressing his wish for them to contribute their strength toward poverty relief.
Although the people of now didn't feel its importance.
If things gradually improved far in the future, it would surely be due in no small part to the hero's influence.
Before the hero left the village.
Some wore indifferent expressions.
But the children were smiling brightly.
"Thank you. I was able to eat my fill for the first time in a long time."
It was that dark-skinned kid.
"You'll be able to eat like that often from now on."
He firmly rubbed the child's head.
The kid closed his eyes tight and smiled shyly.
"Come to think of it, I never knew your name. What's your name?"
"My name is 'Pepper'."
"I see. Never give up and stay healthy always."
"Yes!"
At the hero's departing back, Pepper wildly waved his arms.
Until he disappeared beyond the horizon.
Jun felt a more affectionate feeling than when he had first left the castle and the people had seen him off at the gate.
"Hero-nim, why did you care so much about the children?"
Sophia asked.
"Well. What do you think the reason is?"
"I'm not sure. Do you have a child in your original world?"
"What? Hahaha. No way."
Jun laughed loudly for the first time in a while.
"There's no particular reason."
"Yes?"
"Just. They're kids. Kids are supposed to eat their fill, run around, and play."
Sophia could not understand.
It was a concept that no one in this world could yet grasp.
"Because they're children."
Im Jun felt that he was not at the level of a hero.
But Sophia felt.
Who else could think, speak, and act like that?
Indeed, the Hero-nim.
Im Jun had been this world's hero from the very beginning.
The sun was hot, and the march was not over yet.
"Hero-nim! Please come back for sure!"
Pepper's shout soaked the green field.