The Hero's Nemesis
It's been a while since I've seen Gold.
And it's been a while since I've seen that bitch.
"Welcome, Oppa... kuh."
The woman who had been gracefully bowing while holding her dress after seeing Gold suddenly made a face like she'd bitten into a bug the moment she saw me...
"What's your name again?"
"Charles! It's Charles! You rude monkey...!"
"Charles."
"Yes, Oppa!"
How could someone treat people so differently? I was about to get chills from her two-faced attitude when Gold spoke kindly.
"You did very well this time. Requesting support from the academy was an excellent decision."
"Um... that's right!"
"But how did you know about the manipulated situation in the cave?"
Charles hummed in thought before smiling brightly.
"...Intuition!"
"Intuition, huh."
What the hell.
So she was the one who requested support from Pryunar Academy?
I'd wondered why the girl who'd been kicked out and wandering around outside had returned home so confidently, but it turns out she earned some merit.
"By the way, Charles."
"Yes?"
"What do you think of Rena?"
Rena.
Charles had treated her carelessly, which made me angry, and that was the decisive reason this bitch got kicked out of the house.
I thought she'd obviously get angry at the mention of her name, but Charles unexpectedly chuckled and softened her expression.
"She's a talented and kind child. If she earns a title through merit, I'd be fine with becoming friends."
"?"
Why was this bitch giving Rena such high praise?
Well, her tone was still condescending, but for Charles, it was quite gentle.
While I tilted my head in confusion, Gold continued with a smile.
"Well, since you received help from Lady Rena, it's understandable you'd think of her kindly."
"Pardon?"
"It seems her spirit gave you a hint about the cave's situation."
"......"
Charles's smile froze like stone.
"Um... that..."
"Just so you know, it wasn't her who told me. Someone saw the spirit following you around and heard it say it was Rena."
"I-I see."
This spectacular fucking bitch.
She had a share in it, but Rena's contribution was bigger, yet she tried to claim all the credit by keeping her mouth shut?
"Charles."
"Y-Yes, Oppa..."
"I still haven't permitted your return to the main house."
"......"
At the question of why she'd come back, Charles broke out in a cold sweat.
"Charles."
"Yes, Oppa..."
"Get out."
A cold wind blew past Gold.
"O-Oppa! I'm sorry!!"
Charles clung to his arm, squeezing out tears.
Gold maintained a cold expression, but I could see his heart wavering.
"...I'm not the one you should apologize to."
"Ah, I know! I'll give Rena both thanks and an apology! I was planning to do that from the start!"
"Again."
Again?
Charles tilted her head as if she had no idea who he meant.
"...You should apologize to Hyung-nim."
Her face instantly twisted like she'd bitten a bug.
"What? I have to apologize to this rude man...?"
"Get out."
"F-Fine, I'll do it!"
Charles glared at me with a look that screamed "Die!"
Normally I'd be pissed, but this spectacular bitch didn't even make me slightly annoyed.
"S-S-Sorry... sorrrry...!"
"Gold. I'm hungry."
"Ah, is that so? Charles, come back later."
"W-Wait...!"
Why would I accept an apology from someone who clearly didn't mean it?
"W-Wait! Wait a minute!"
"Come back later."
I ignored her and walked forward.
I was really hungry.
"...Ah, Gold."
"Hm?"
"That Inseos girl didn't come visit me in the hospital?"
"......"
Gold's expression hardened.
He soon stammered before asking.
"Hyung-nim... are you... concerned about Inseos?"
"?"
What the hell was he talking about?
"That girl does have a very beautiful appearance, but, um... that..."
She did look young.
In technical terms, she was close to a 9-heads-tall loli.
Small frame but adult proportions. She was damn pretty and cute too.
But that wasn't what I was asking about.
"No, it's not that. It seemed like she helped me."
"Helped you?"
Gold blinked in confusion.
***
"Then."
"Yeah~ See you later, Lirai~"
Laiet left without acknowledging her, accompanied by her follower Lor.
Inseos, with her striking twin-tails and flashy fashion, sat on the bench swinging her legs and let out a meaningful hum.
"So that Oppa woke up~?"
Dre, who had been unconscious, had woken up.
While several other classmates went to find him, Inseos deliberately didn't go.
Delicious things taste better the longer you wait, and it makes you crave them more.
She also thought that since he was a man who knew gratitude, he'd come find her on his own if she waited.
"I'm looking forward to it~"
His image was still vividly clear in her mind.
Even when facing that unknown god-like monster, he hadn't backed down and had displayed tremendous power. Just thinking about it made her lower abdomen tingle.
"Which part it'll be is random though. Ufufu."
As Inseos hummed, she suddenly grimaced at the energy wrapping around her.
[Why the "ufufu"? Inseos.]
"Why? Grandma?"
[Hmm~ What did I say would happen if you called me Grandma one more time?]
"You said you'd rip out my organs and hang them on the city walls, right? Grandma."
[Ahahaha.]
"Ufufufu."
The pointless conversation ended there.
Inseos sighed and spoke.
"Why did you suddenly contact me?"
[Why else? I helped you, didn't I?]
That was true.
She had helped Dre from afar using the power of a dream demon, but without this old hag Arbedia's power, she wouldn't have been able to provide proper assistance.
Still, Inseos ignored that.
"I never asked for help though~"
[Don't say that~ Let me meet him too.]
"Through me?"
[Yes, through you. Ufufu. I want to feel his presence, his scent... that vivid sense of being there.]
Arbedia savored the still-clear scene.
This damn brat might not know, but what he faced was a deity who had descended into this world.
A man who overwhelmed one deity and then immediately confronted that monstrous Chief God...
Though deities weaken significantly when descending to this realm, the man named Yeo Deure had displayed his uniqueness to a transcendent degree.
Moreover... Resonance.
A technique that only Pryunar or the Ten Heroes could properly use.
[You don't properly understand that man's value.]
Pryunar.
An unidentified and powerful figure now reduced to just a few lines in literature, likely the true sealer of the Demon King.
Even if the Ten Heroes were strong, it was hard to believe they sealed the true Demon King, so it had to be someone else.
And Pryunar and Dre were very similar.
The technique he used when attacking Nanar was definitely Resonance, and he used many fire-based techniques.
'His personality seems quite different though...'
Arbedia's thoughts were interrupted by Inseos's words.
"I think I understand it properly though?"
[Hm?]
"The Queen sees him politically, but I see him as a man."
[Oh my... how rude. Do you see him properly as a man too?]
Of course, she also had thoughts of "milking" him.
Didn't Inseos think the same?
But Inseos smiled subtly.
"It's disappointing that you can only think that way."
[Are you going to keep being cheeky? Anyway, let me meet him. It'd be better for you to meet me instead.]
Even without that, Dre had gained fame in the demon realm as an Irregular.
That fame had spread further with the news that he had defeated the demonic beast sealed in the Sea God's Cave's seal, making him a hot potato.
'From what I've heard about what happened in the Sea God's Cave, it seems like a high-level demonic beast at best... but according to ancient texts, the one who fought the Water Dragon was likely Yuna, one of the Four Great Demon Kings.'
What if the demonic beast Yeo Deure defeated was the sealed Yuna?
The demon race was already warlike.
The warlike Demon Kings, including the "Demon King of Battle," had already shown interest in him.
Even if they didn't show it, all the Four Great Demon Kings like Arbedia, or even the Demon Kings of the True Demon Realm.
In times like this, you had to claim him quickly.
"I don't want to?"
But Inseos refused.
If this moody Demon King met that man...
'At least it wouldn't be good for Instructor Oppa~'
Arbedia felt irritation rather than excitement about facing an obstacle after so long at having her coveted prize interfered with.
[...Do you really want to get punished?]
"How would you come here from the demon realm?"
[Do you think I can't?]
"You'd probably just send an avatar or something."
How should she deal with this annoying brat?
If it weren't for the evaluation that Inseos surpassed even Arbedia in talent among dream demons, she would've taken her away long ago and punished her in a dream.
"I'll tell him that Grandma helped. The rest is up to you whether you send an avatar or not~"
[You, Inse...]
Inseos cut off the communication and stretched.
He'd come to the academy soon.
Inseos recalled the defensive technique, Diamond Balls, that he had used against the god-like monster.
Inseos licked her lips with her tongue, looking more seductive than any other woman.
"I'm looking forward to it~"
"Here it is."
"Right."
Poseid, who had received documents in his office, tapped his pen.
The female user wearing a bug mask hesitated before asking.
"Um... Poseid-nim?"
"Yeah?"
"Aren't you going to...?"
"Take any action?"
She'd hit the mark.
Seeing his subordinate close her mouth, Poseid smiled.
"In this uncertain situation where the system is stopped and we don't know how long this unprecedented event will last, the Sacred God Festival that gives quite a significant quest is happening in two days. Plus, there's the matter of Yeo Deure and the Hero who left various issues that make their participation in the Sacred God Festival certain... right?"
"Y-Yes."
"It's fine. The system will be restored, and we're already allied with Yeo Deure and the Hero."
Poseid was confident that he was ahead of anyone in "securing" them first.
No, if that unprecedented being who defeated the deity, Yeo Deure, was there, he believed they could go even further.
Especially now when Reina and Makia had suffered significant losses in trust with the Elyunar people.
"What I need to do now is keep my partner in a good mood."
"In a good mood...?"
"When the system starts working again, there'll be chaos among the users. Probably because of Yeo Deure."
"......"
"I need to pave the way so the idiots don't do anything stupid. And I need to show it to him."
Even though he looked violent, he was a man who repaid his debts.
Poseid was looking forward to the storm that was coming.
In the spacious and luxurious room.
It was very clean, matching the interior, but that was strange considering the status of the person using this room.
'A mage.'
This room was too clean for a mage's room.
But the prostrated man thought that this person could be like that.
After all, he was someone called a super mage who had transcended the great mage through mastering magic.
"Heuruteu-nim."
"......"
"These are the documents on the person you mentioned."
"Is that so?"
The documents suddenly appeared before the eyes of the person sitting in the chair enjoying black tea.
On the documents was drawn Dre's face.
Archmage Heuruteu.
Despite being over 400 years old, he smiled with a youthful face that looked almost boyish.
"Quite a foolish-looking face."
And the Empire, the Holy Kingdom, the Elves, the Dwarves, the Dragonkin... numerous kingdoms and forces... and those called Rankers among the Strangers were all watching one man.
Yeo Deure.
To see his incredibly rapid growth, or to witness the Sacred God Festival, one of the greatest festivals, a considerable number of people were heading to the Entiaere Kingdom, this time's host.
And that Dre was... in the 'Sea God's Cave'.
***
"You found me faster than I expected."
"Hello."
I bowed my head.
The Sea God's Cave.
It was originally a ruin, and now even the management side, the Ten Great Families, were prohibited from entering, but only I was specially granted access.
Even Kaits couldn't enter.
All because of this Water Dragon's request.
"You said you wanted to meet me one-on-one."
"Yes. I have something to tell you. The next Pryunar."
"......"
The next Pryunar.
"I don't really have the qualifications of Pryunar..."
"Just by opening this space, you have sufficient qualifications."
I closed my mouth and looked up at the Water Dragon.
The Water Dragon's appearance harmonizing with the cave's light was majestic enough to stir the heart.
After unconsciously shouting "Long live fantasy" in my heart after so long, the Water Dragon spoke.
"Yes... just as Pryunar said, that day has finally come."
"Did you meet Pryunar?"
"I did. Thanks to his spell, my memories and face are hazy, but I clearly remember the mission he left me and his character."
"Mission...?"
"To pass on his legacy to the one suitable to become the next Pryunar."
Legacy?
...Legacy!!
I was looking forward to it.
I thought the hot and sticky sex with Almiraj this time was sufficient compensation, but material compensation wouldn't be bad either, right?
Now that I'd been marked by a god and might not receive anything, getting something would make me very happy.
"The mission has already been completed."
"What?"
"Because the Runar of the monument you absorbed was what Pryunar left behind."
"...Um, uh..."
Of course it was powerful, but I'd already used it up in one go.
This fucking...
"Don't make that face. It's not simply about the quantity of Runar. It's something needed to awaken a new power."
"Awaken?"
"Yes. According to him, if the suitable person absorbs the Runar, they would be able to awaken various things."
"Hmm..."
I still couldn't tell what was different.
But well, maybe some memories would appear later.
"What else did Pryunar leave behind?"
"Nothing. He created a secret space in this cave that would detect and open when the suitable person came, and hand over the Runar. That was all, the rest was just small talk."
"...? Then why did you come out saying you'd test me, Water Dragon-nim...?"
"......"
"......"
This fucking water snake bastard??
"That... even if I was asleep, it was a mission I'd been guarding for thousands of years, so can't you understand testing me at least once?"
"...If that's the case, then whatever."
Well, if he'd been trapped here for thousands of years, he had a right to be angry.
"Ah, of course I didn't just stay inside. I also wandered outside through avatars, but..."
"Hey, you water snake..."
"Anyway, as compensation, I'll pass on my power to you. It's power I used before becoming a spirit, so I can confidently say it'll be quite useful. But water...? What is it?"
"O Water Guardian!"
"Huhu, don't flatter me. As expected of Pryunar's power's suitable person, your flattery skills are on par with his."
Holy Water Dragon-nim!
Since the Water Dragon was that strong even in spirit form, it would be a powerful boost to my strength.
And.
[Dre.]
"......"
It wasn't Mangshin.
And it was a familiar voice.
"This is?"
Even the Water Dragon seemed to have heard it.
His expression was clearly bewildered.
"Olnist?"
[Yes. It's me.]
A relaxed and calm tone.
As I and the Water Dragon looked up at the sky, he spoke.
[Will you come to the divine realm? I'll give you the reward for this incident.]