Chapter 37
Chapter 37
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 37
Chapter Title: Weaknesses Can Be Found in Unexpected Places. (5)
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Demons.
Beings from the demon realm, ominous entities said to descend upon the mortal world and drag it into ruin.
They always seek any tiny gap to slip into the mortal world.
Be it a desolate place untouched by human feet, or a crack in a weakened heart.
"Grrraaaah! I'll kill you all!!"
A man rampaging madly in the middle of the village.
Black aura seeped from his body, and his eyes were bloodshot red.
Blood—whose it was, no one knew—stained his hands thickly, and the same went for the corners of his mouth.
And at his feet lay the corpses of villagers who seemed to be the owners of that blood, scattered about.
"Y-You madman! How's he so strong?!"
"That guy... wasn't he just some farmer?!"
The villagers, flustered by the sudden crisis, still tried to calm the man down.
"Hey, Kelt! What the hell is this?!"
"Are you insane?! How many villagers have you killed?!"
Kelt.
Just yesterday, he had been an ordinary villager.
The only tragic thing about him might have been that his wife and daughter had both fallen ill and died not long ago.
Ever since then, he'd just sat blankly at home, but now he was suddenly rampaging and killing people.
"Die! All of you, die! Kyahahaha!"
Bloodshot red eyes and seeping black aura.
Sharpened nails and beast-like fangs.
And the red blood smeared on them.
He looked just like he'd become a demon.
"Step aside."
But then, a voice came from behind the villagers trying to restrain him.
"Huh?"
The moment the villagers turned their heads, wondering what was going on.
Slash—thud.
Something flashed through their midst.
And in that instant, something fell with a sound.
"......"
Silence fell in an instant.
Kelt's voice, vowing to kill them all, had filled the air just moments ago.
The villagers slowly turned back and checked.
"K-Kelt...?"
His bloodshot eyes and blood-smeared mouth intact.
Kelt's head lay detached from his body, rolling on the ground.
"Wh-What..."
The villagers panicked at the sight of Kelt's neck suddenly severed when he'd been standing fine moments before.
What on earth had just happened?
They turned to look behind them again.
"Hmph..."
There stood a man in gleaming white armor like light itself.
On his chest gleamed the badge of a Hero, the shining light emblem, and he had platinum hair parted 2:8.
He looked to be in his late twenties.
Mersen Remnant, the active Hero of the Karr Empire known as the Hero of Light.
He was also the only son of Parus Remnant, the former Hero who stood shoulder-to-shoulder with Marquis Harkur and now served as principal of Hero Academy.
"Wh-Why..."
The villagers looked at him fearfully and asked.
Why he'd cut off Kelt's head.
Kelt was a commoner, but still a citizen of the empire.
Even if he'd gone mad and killed people, he should face punishment as an imperial subject, not summary execution on the spot.
Immediate on-site execution was illegal under imperial law, except in special cases.
"What? Why?"
Mersen Remnant looked irritated at the villagers as he spoke.
"Demons must be killed. What's the problem?"
He wore an expression like he couldn't understand why he had to explain this.
And behind him appeared a few people who seemed to be his party members.
A woman in priestly robes, a man with a bow, and a burly man in heavy armor holding a massive shield.
Three in total.
"You dare question the decision of Mersen, the Hero of Light, called the strongest among active Heroes?"
"Shall we kill them?"
"Harboring a demon... are you demon worshippers?"
At their words, the villagers recoiled in shock.
"D-Demon...? Kelt...?"
Sudden rampage.
Black aura.
Brutal slaughter of people.
It could only be explained as demon possession.
In that case, the villagers would surely have suffered even greater losses.
The Hero of Light, Mersen, had indeed saved the village.
But the villagers thought.
'What is this... uneasy feeling...'
Judging a possessed human as a demon at first glance.
Not even thinking to save the possessed person, just severing their head.
It was impossible not to feel a subtle discomfort.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇
"It's been a while since your return to the capital, Mersen sir."
"Has it."
Mersen's party, having completed all their backlog of missions and returned to the empire.
Having resolved an unscheduled demon possession incident along the way, they chatted as they beheld the capital Carmen after so long.
"Ugh~ I'm starving. Shall we eat first?"
"No. Mission report comes first."
"Back after so long, are you thinking of visiting Principal Parus?"
"Who knows."
Of course, "chatting" meant the party members talking one-sidedly.
The party leader Mersen responded only in curt, cold, businesslike tones.
"Hahaha, we should drop by at least once! To see the cute juniors too!"
But the party members paid it no mind.
They knew well that this was just how Mersen was.
A man with nothing in his head but slaying the evil that threatened the world.
Inflexible and stubborn, but precisely because of that, the one most suited to be a Hero.
"...That concludes the mission report."
Arriving at the Hero Administration Bureau, they submitted their report and proof.
Then they emerged back into the city center.
"What now, sir?"
"Rest? Or eat..."
Mersen pondered the party members' questions for a moment.
"...To the Academy."
He decided to go meet Parus, his father and former personal instructor.
Now the principal of Hero Academy.
"......"
Mersen, about to enter the Academy.
But his senses picked up an odd presence.
The reason he was called the Hero of Light was his light-attribute mana, far more potent against darkness than holy power.
Thus, he sensed darkness—and demons—better than anyone.
"A demon."
"Pardon...?"
"What..."
A demon inside Hero Academy.
Mersen was certain.
"Must kill it."
Mersen's already cold eyes grew even colder.
Evil must be purged.
That was the duty of he, the Hero of Light, he believed.
Even if it was a promising student and junior at Hero Academy.
"...Hm?"
But then, one person caught his eye.
A woman with red hair in twin tails, wearing the Hero badge—the shining light emblem—on her uniform chest.
The Hero who'd been racking up achievements at an astonishing pace lately, daughter of the late Marquis Harkur.
Jenny Harkur.
'Why is she here...'
His doubt was fleeting.
"Uwaaaah!"
"Kyaaah!"
"?!"
Suddenly, screams erupted from inside an Academy building.
And at the same time, a massive darkness surged out.
"There."
Mersen bolted toward it immediately.
But Jenny Harkur was heading the same way.
'Trying to purge the evil herself?'
Impossible.
Mersen believed only he should purge evil in this world.
'That's what the Hero of Light is for. Don't play Hero without the power of light.'
With that thought, he raced at full speed to arrive before Jenny.
But Jenny was no slouch either, and he ended up letting her reach the scene first.
"Tch..."
He arrived a beat after Jenny, but still swiftly.
Mersen surveyed the scene.
The building area was shattered as if something had exploded, students flung about groaning in pain.
Fortunately, no fatalities.
And at the center, a female student huddled in agony, exuding black aura that looked ominous to anyone.
Sky-blue long hair.
And the aura she gave off was...
'Hero...?'
Of course, to Mersen, a "fake Hero," but by the world's standards, she was one.
"...Filthy."
That only fueled Mersen's rage more.
For a so-called Hero to fall to darkness and become demon-possessed.
"This is why fake Heroes..."
He swiftly drew his sword, infusing it with light mana.
But then.
"Please wait a moment!"
Jenny Harkur suddenly shouted from beside him and approached the girl emitting black aura.
'Found it first, so she'll handle the purge? Can't allow that.'
If it had happened out of his sight, fine—but having witnessed it himself, the Hero of Light couldn't let someone else purge evil.
He swung his sword immediately.
A slash of light flew toward the girl.
And just as it was about to cleave her...
"I said wait!"
Clang!
Jenny extended her hand, erecting a barrier that dispersed the light slash entirely.
"...?!"
He was stunned that she'd blocked his attack.
Even more so that a mere fake Hero's barrier had withstood him.
Mersen scowled, about to demand what she was doing.
"Purification."
Jenny cast purification magic on the suffering girl.
Flash—
Intense holy power poured out.
So brilliant it might as well have been light mana.
"......"
Mersen watched, speechless.
He wielded light magic far superior to holy power.
Yet why?
This mere subset of his light mana—holy power.
Why did it shine brighter and stronger than his own?
"Urgh..."
Under her holy power, the dark aura gradually peeled away.
The girl's agonized expression began to ease.
"...Awaken. That's a demon eating away at you. Drive it out."
Jenny whispered gently.
Watching her, Mersen thought.
A light holier than his own.
A compassionate whisper.
Beautiful appearance.
"...A goddess."
A goddess had descended there.
Flash—
Moments later, purification completed.
The girl had fully recovered and fallen into a peaceful sleep.
Jenny, somewhat drained, exhaled deeply, wiped her sweat, and lifted the sleeping girl effortlessly.
"Sorry, but could you handle the cleanup?"
She asked Mersen to tidy up and carried her to the infirmary.
"That wench dares order the true Hero of Light, Mersen sir?!"
"That bitch... rising star acting all high and mighty..."
Mersen's party members fumed at the sight.
But Mersen silenced them.
"Quiet. That's blasphemy."
"...Pardon?"
"...?"
His eyes remained fixed on Jenny's receding back, far away.