Chapter 65
Chapter 65
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 65
Chapter Title: Fate Tends to Be More Unfavorable (6)
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Fate tends to have more bad outcomes.
“What? Are you insane?”
Hero Management Bureau Director Duke Aihan scowled at the lunatic babbling utter nonsense right in front of him.
“So, you want me to recognize Jenny Harkur's independent adventurer activities?”
From a cost standpoint, or maintaining friendly relations with the Adventurer's Guild, and so on—recognize her adventurer work and just leave her alone.
It was a completely absurd demand.
Heroes were one thing; there were plenty of them compared to true Heroes anyway.
But actual Heroes? No way.
With so few of them, each one wielding overwhelming power.
Every Hero in the Empire had to belong to the Empire itself.
Otherwise... who knew where or how they'd act.
“All Heroes must remain under imperial oversight. We can't have them baring their fangs at the Empire by mistake. Am I wrong?”
“That's why the Hassler branch of the Adventurer's Guild within the Empire...”
“Goddamn it, that's not the issue, you lunatic!!”
Bang!!
Aihan ended up smashing the high-end hardwood desk he'd only just replaced.
“Haa... What the hell's gotten into you all of a sudden?”
Director Aihan let out a deep sigh as he glared at the man spewing bullshit right in front of him.
Dazzlingly pristine white armor.
A handsome man in his late twenties with platinum blond hair to match.
The Hero of Light, Mersenne Remnant.
“You weren't like this before. You were always so reliable and quiet. What happened?”
In his memory, Mersenne was someone with rock-solid values.
Which made him the perfect tool... the most heroic of Heroes.
But now, out of nowhere, he was demanding recognition for a Hero slipping away to join those barbaric savages he used to despise.
Talking about all the benefits.
Mentioning some lowborn he'd only heard once during that troll lord Kane incident, calling him impressive.
He was saying way too much that didn't match his old image.
“Are you seriously losing it?”
This time, the question carried a hint of genuine concern rather than just disbelief.
With his long track record, Mersenne Remnant was actually more of a central figure for the Heroes than the rising star Jenny Harkur.
If he suddenly went mad, or retired early due to some illness like the others...
They'd already lost Jenny Harkur. Losing Mersenne too?
That couldn't happen.
Those two had more name value than other Heroes; their loss would hurt far worse than just depleting Hero forces.
“Not at all.”
As Director Aihan looked at him with a flicker of worry, Mersenne shook his head.
He wasn't crazy.
He'd simply...
“...opened eyes that had been closed until now.”
Like an ascetic who had grasped some profound truth.
He gave a faint smile.
“Tch, whatever. No means no. All Heroes must remain under the Empire...”
Just as Director Aihan moved to refuse again.
“What exactly isn't allowed?”
A majestic, familiar voice echoed from the entrance.
‘What the... no way?’
Aihan whipped his head toward the door to check the owner of that voice.
“...H-His Imperial Majesty?!”
There stood a kindly middle-aged man—the current Emperor, Karr 17th.
“Your Majesty.”
Director Aihan and Mersenne immediately dropped to their knees in proper obeisance.
“Haha, no need for that. Rise.”
The Emperor chuckled warmly at the sight and waved them off.
They stood at his command. Director Aihan, looking flustered, asked,
“What brings Your Majesty here...?”
The Emperor did occasionally visit the Hero Management Bureau to hear about Heroes and Hero Candidates.
Of course, Aihan didn't love it, suspecting it was to scout talent for his own side.
Anyway.
He'd definitely heard the latest on new Heroes and Hero Candidates just a few days ago.
“Ah, I had some personal business today.”
The Emperor said this while glancing at Mersenne.
As if he knew he was here.
‘...Parus?’
Director Aihan pieced it together immediately.
He must have heard about Mersenne from Principal Parus Remnant and come straight here.
And the reason was probably...
“I've heard the gist. Seems like a solid proposal to me. Cost-wise, and in terms of wartime forces, I don't see the downside, just as he said.”
Yes, that was it.
Recognizing Jenny Harkur's independent adventurer status.
The Emperor had even said before:
She didn't have to be a Hero if she stayed in the Empire.
He'd seen the opportunity there from the start.
The Hero Management Bureau under Aihan was monitoring her, which made it hard to pull that massive card fully to his side.
But if she stayed in the Empire without being an imperial Hero.
Say, operating independently as an adventurer or vigilante.
It'd be much easier for the Emperor to approach her, build rapport, and eventually make her fully his own.
Mersenne's pitch must have been perfect for him.
“...B-But, Your Majesty.”
Director Aihan started to protest, but he shut his mouth upon seeing the Emperor's kindly smile harden slightly.
‘Damn it... But I can't argue. It's undeniably beneficial to the Empire.’
Sure, keeping her under his thumb would be better for exploiting her.
But voicing that would admit outright that the Bureau monitored and puppeteered Heroes.
On the surface, at least, it was just an agency supporting Hero and Hero Candidate parties and assigning missions.
It was like it had been prepared for the Emperor.
‘Prepared...?’
Or maybe.
‘Did the Emperor orchestrate this?’
This proposal.
According to Mersenne, it came from some nobody named Kane.
Ridiculous.
A lowborn managing Heroes who became adventurers? Nonsense.
Mersenne relaying a commoner's words? Also nonsense.
But if it was all the Emperor's scheme?
Then it made sense.
Just prop up a disposable pawn like Kane, while the Emperor pulled the strings from behind.
“Haha, well then, I'll be off.”
Karr 17th smiled broadly, as if he'd said his piece, and strolled out slowly.
“Ah, then I'll take my leave as well.”
Mersenne, mission accomplished, bolted without proper farewell.
At their relaxed attitudes, like everything had gone to plan.
Director Aihan could do nothing but clench his fists and tremble in fury.
‘...Should I gather the nobles?’
He couldn't do anything alone.
Even as the de facto third in rank, the Emperor would just laugh.
And if the Hassler Guild branch was already in his pocket.
Jenny and Scarlett.
The terrifying Harkur sisters would be under him.
Plus, judging by Mersenne's attitude, he was the Emperor's man too.
No matter how much Director Aihan could leverage Heroes and Hero Candidates.
He couldn't match the Emperor, who held the top two Heroes and a Hero-tier Hero Candidate.
“...Secretary.”
He pulled out the communication orb linked to his secretary and connected.
Then, in a grave tone,
“Contact Prime Minister Persen and set up a dinner meeting.”
#
“...Mersenne.”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
Having left almost simultaneously, the Emperor and Mersenne ended up walking the Bureau's corridors together.
Of course, not side by side.
Mersenne followed behind with proper obeisance, slightly bowed at the waist, while the Emperor led.
“You're 27 now, aren't you?”
“Yes, Your Majesty.”
“...So young.”
Karr 17th murmured this, lowering his head slightly with a nostalgic gaze lost in memory.
Then, slowly, he began reminiscing.
“When your father was young, he was a friend helping me right by my side.”
Parus Remnant.
Along with Marquis Harkur, the top contributor who made Karr 17th Emperor.
“Of course, he looked down on me at first. I was the second prince, after all, with no real power.”
Not a Hero.
Not even a Hero Candidate.
His only edge over his brothers was personality and administrative skill.
But this world prized Hero and Hero Candidate aptitudes above all.
You needed the power to save humanity to wield real authority.
“Then, someone appeared before a nobody like me.”
A fresh Hero Academy graduate.
A lowly commoner, no less.
But he'd dominated with overwhelming skill, graduating top of his class.
Harkur.
Yet nobles who refused to accept his status treated him like trash.
The Bureau always dumped the dirtiest jobs on him that others avoided.
Other Heroes mocked him as the 'trash cleanup crew'.
“Funny, isn't it? They preach that Hero and Hero Candidate power is everything, yet discriminate against the truly strong just for being common-born.”
Anyway, that's how Harkur and Karr 17th—back then, just 'Roman'—met.
“We crossed paths by chance during a Bureau inspection. I'd already known of him, of course. I'd seen the top graduate's face at the Hero appointment ceremony.”
But there he was: the top student, scrubbing toilets while sneered at as trash.
Astounded, he asked why.
In a world where strength ruled.
With the pinnacle of strength and skill.
Why accept such treatment?
Harkur just smiled casually as he mopped the floor and replied,
‘Because I'm better than them.’
“He was a proud man. While I could only blame fate for lacking strength to claim the throne...”
They were total opposites.
Harkur: Hero aptitude but discriminated against for low birth.
Roman: Skilled administrator but sidelined for lacking Hero traits.
Yet at their core, they were alike.
So they bonded quickly.
“And we grew fast.”
Harkur overcame endless discrimination and bullying to become the strongest Hero, untouchable.
Roman built his faction using Harkur's power and name.
“Before I knew it, Parus—the Hero always said to be next after Harkur—was on my side too.”
He'd scorned them for lacking power and status.
But eventually acknowledged the power and influence they'd amassed.
Thus, Roman built a massive force and became Karr 17th.
Leading to today.
“...Hahaha, this old man's gotten carried away with old tales.”
“Not at all. I enjoyed hearing it.”
The old Mersenne would have scoffed at such a ridiculous story.
Lowborn blood was fact.
And the Emperor of the continent's greatest empire, not even a Hero Candidate? Pathetic.
But now he knew.
Greatness didn't need that.
‘Saint... will he praise me for this?’
As he smiled at the thought.
“Seeing you reminds me of Parus... that friend. He's 48 already? And yet...”
The Emperor's expression sharpened suddenly.
“That friend... he's a Hero. But at his age, he looks perfectly healthy, no ailments.”
He dropped the meaningful line.