Chapter 80
Chapter 80
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 80
Chapter Title: Negative Reality Is Hard to Accept (1)
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Negative reality is hard to accept.
Marquis Sain Harkur's mood was far from good after leaving the grand conference.
Central nobles and provincial nobles.
This was a gathering of the empire's key nobles, meant to decide the nation's future.
Yet they just bickered over factions, huddled in their cliques whispering among themselves.
Pushing their own ridiculous agendas.
Meanwhile, reports of incidents seemingly tied to demons were on the rise, along with rumors of friction between Bastia on the Forest Continent and the dragons.
They barely touched on any topics of real substance.
'Even the people I sought out separately, hoping they might help...'
After the conference ended, he'd gone to a few nobles who seemed reasonable.
Mostly provincial lords from outlying regions like his own marquisate, less entangled in the power struggles.
But even they didn't react as he'd hoped.
"Demons? More worrying is the Eastern Coalition's movements. Word is they've allied with Trasson and that secretive 'Mu'."
"We should be focusing on those eastern bastards right now. But the central nobles couldn't care less—they're too busy yapping about demons and trolls... Tsk tsk."
The eastern provincial nobles were already on edge over rumors of an alliance between the Mera Coalition, the Free State of Trasson, and the mysterious nation of 'Mu'.
They'd brought it up at the conference too, but since it was just hearsay, the talk fizzled out with vague calls for vigilance.
Considering that, their frustration was understandable.
"Demons? In my eyes, those Arventus Magic Republic bastards are the real demons. You see them denying responsibility for all those chimeras they unleashed in their 'experiments'? We're barely holding them back as it is."
The western outskirts were preoccupied with issues from the Arventus Magic Republic, the mages' nation bordering the empire to the west.
The empire might look stable at a glance, but its vast size meant constant pressure from external threats.
Only because it had the world's finest facilities for training heroes did it attract talent from other nations to the academy, providing some deterrence.
And with its history of possessing the continent's top forces—and still claiming that title—no major wars had erupted.
In truth, there were no direct clashes, but the borders saw plenty of underhanded incidents.
Under the southern seas lay the Forest Continent's non-humans, who despised mankind.
To the east, the Mera Coalition had banded numerous states into a force rivaling the Carr Empire.
To the west, the Arventus Magic Republic, whose psychopaths sacrificed humans without hesitation for magical experiments.
And to the north, the barbarians—once troublesome, but now on decent terms thanks to Sain's diplomacy.
The central nobles were busy with their infighting.
The provincials were tangled in their own external woes.
No one paid attention to the growing warning signs of real danger.
Because they weren't immediate threats.
Demon incidents had always cropped up across the continent now and then, handled by active heroes or hero candidates.
Not the job of family heads settled into noble life, fulfilling their duties as aristocrats.
'...Nobles are useless after all. Better to seek help from the imperial family or the adventurers' guild.'
Sain figured the emperor— who gave off a vibe similar to his own—or the Hassler branch of the adventurers' guild, where Kane had settled in with his sisters, might actually help.
It had been the same back with the demon omens in the northern Lvabascal cave.
Rather than empire-bound heroes turned puppets.
Or the demon-hunting but somewhat unhinged religious orders.
He trusted the adventurers more—especially Scarlett—so he'd left it to them.
He was angry at himself for ever hoping these self-interested nobles might care about the threats right in front of them.
That's when he ran into an unexpected figure in Carmen Square.
"S-Sain, young master... er, no, Marquis...?"
"...Kane."
Kane.
Once the lowly commoner he'd despised most—the type who leeched off others and gave up on effort.
But actually the one who strove harder than anyone, pushing forward.
Now the man he respected most.
Perfect timing—he'd wanted to talk anyway. What a stroke of luck.
The only issue was...
'...How long has it been since we last faced each other like this and talked?'
He was so tense, words wouldn't come out right.
Seeing him tongue-tied, Kane looked flustered too.
"...Let's at least grab some tea."
Sain steadied his shaking nerves at the sight and headed to a café with him.
To sit properly and talk.
'So much I want to ask. So much advice I need on the current situation.'
They sat, but where to even start?
Sain struggled to untangle his jumbled thoughts.
He even asked after Jenny and Scarlett, his sisters.
Hearing they were doing better than during their hero days secretly pleased him.
He'd never cared much for Jenny raising the Harkur name as a hero.
He'd handle the family legacy himself; he just wanted Jenny and Scarlett to live as they pleased.
The story of them heading to Bastia to slay a dragon?
Impressive, something to be proud of—but no real worry.
'Unlike me, those two take after Father. In personality and talent alike.'
Who was Harkur?
The strongest human ever, undefeated save for that mysterious illness in his final years.
Jenny had inherited his absurd talent.
Scarlett, his monstrous physique and fiery temperament.
Even against a dragon, Sain couldn't imagine them losing.
So it didn't bother him much.
They'd win and come back anyway.
'What's truly astonishing is Kane.'
About three or four months since leaving Hero Academy.
Kane looked utterly transformed in person after so long.
'Back when he was an academy teacher, his physical abilities were average at best.'
On par with or below a commoner's.
A true bookworm.
But working as an instructor at the adventurers' guild, Kane had taken another step—several, even.
His muscles had developed to an astonishing degree.
Elite soldier of a nation, veteran adventurer—you'd believe either.
And it wasn't just bulk.
His posture, gaze, breathing.
Everything screamed seasoned combatant, not ordinary man.
Sain met countless people in his position—retainers, guards, his own or others'.
With sharper insight than most, he spotted the difference immediately.
What had he done in these mere three, four months?
"What have you been up to all this time?"
He was dying to know.
How to advance so swiftly, so surely along one's path.
How to stride forward without hesitation.
"You're still pushing ahead as always."
Deep respect welled up for Kane from the heart.
Endless curiosity, drive for self-improvement.
Qualities anyone could have, anyone should have.
Yet no one realized them.
He displayed them effortlessly.
The pinnacle of innate talent.
"Pardon?"
"...?"
But Kane stared at him like he'd spouted nonsense.
As if they were talking past each other.
'What? Don't tell me... this isn't even progress?'
That gaze hit Sain like enlightenment.
"I see."
Right—it was just preparation for true advancement!
Building the body, honing combat skills.
Sain couldn't even imagine what Kane was aiming for.
This level of growth was merely the first step!
What cataclysm would erupt when he finally moved?
Sain felt pathetic for daring to judge this man with his own meager standards.
Gauging an idol he should emulate and learn from on his whim.
Like questioning or twisting divine words.
The gods' words were absolute simply because they were divine.
Accept and act on them verbatim.
'Asking about the demons was foolish too.'
Kane had surely prepared for that already.
Under him were Scarlett, who'd resolved Lvabascal's omens.
And the supreme hero candidate, Jenny.
According to Sain's reliable intel, the hero possessed by the demon Lin was now under Kane.
And Mersenne Remnant, the light-wielding hero candidate of rare global fame, was favorably inclined toward him.
Above all, Kane had solved the mutant troll crisis and uncovered its truth.
He'd gathered all the pieces, preparing for the unknown threat.
'No need to ask. He sees everything already.'
Sain just had to help if Kane wanted it.
If not, stay out—interfering could ruin his plans.
'Profitable encounter. Just crossing paths like this.'
No deep talk needed.
But surveying the board, rallying people, preparing ahead.
Lessons learned.
"Contact me if there's anything I can do."
Nothing more to say.
Just hoping he'd ask without burden.
Sain left satisfied, those words lingering.
"...Wh-what was that...?"
Kane, left alone, stared blankly at Sain's retreating back.
Like surviving a sudden storm.
'Could it be... Marquis Sain isn't what I thought?'
Maybe just another oddball from the Harkur family—perfectly ordinary in their eccentricity.
Such thoughts crossed Kane's mind.