Chapter 178: Nightmare (14)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 178: Nightmare (14)
The Hero returned to the battlefield.
He was a traitor who had killed the Emperor and a blasphemer who had murdered the Pope of the Church of Meria, yet no one dared to even think of punishing him.
It was only natural.
After all, this was the man who had assassinated the Emperor in the Imperial Palace—the most heavily guarded place in all the human nations—and slipped away without a trace.
Moreover, even the Goddess Meria, who should have been enraged by her Pope’s death, remained silent, making it impossible for anyone to touch him.
And so, he rejoined the army without issue and fought on the front lines of the war against the demons.
At first, he was filled with motivation.
He fought with a fervent desire to end the war, no matter what. If the army couldn't keep up, he would face the enemy alone.
This life continued for a year, then two, then five, then ten…
But the Hero could not end the war.
It was strange.
He had obtained the Holy Sword and become incomparably stronger than before, yet he still couldn't bring the war to a close.
In truth, he had never lost a single battle he participated in. But the human forces failed to gain the upper hand.
The reason was simple: every battle fought without him ended in defeat.
The Hero subconsciously realized the truth.
This war would never end.
It was nothing more than a perpetual war of attrition.
Eventually, he half-lost his mind.
He began to guzzle down the alcohol he hadn't touched since losing his companions. He didn't turn away any woman who came to him, spending his nights in their company.
Even with such a debauched lifestyle, the front lines held. The Hero had become a seasoned veteran, so much so that not even a single-digit Legion Commander could face him alone.
Another ten years passed in this dissolute life, and then, the woman who would change his destiny appeared before him.
*
It was a morning like any other.
A morning where he would drink himself to sleep, despite his high tolerance, only to wake up in a cold sweat.
It was an unpleasant start to the day, far from refreshing. As he was scratching his head, someone knocked on his door.
“Sir Hero. You have a visitor who wishes to see you.”
“Who is it?”
“The Saintess of the Church of Meria.”
“Saintess? What the hell is that? I’ve heard of a Pope, but this is the first I’m hearing about a Saintess.”
“That is to be expected. The title of Saintess was created only a month ago, and it was kept confidential even within the Church…”
Before he could give his permission, a woman burst through the door. Han Jisu flinched in surprise. She was a beauty with long blonde hair and blue eyes. The woman who called herself a Saintess looked just like Ash, the woman he had once loved.
It was as if she were her reincarnation.
…Reincarnation, my ass.
He instantly calmed his wavering heart. Meanwhile, the Saintess, who had so rudely barged in, stopped mid-sentence and froze like a statue, her eyes trembling.
What’s with her?
He followed her gaze and understood.
Ah.
He was sitting there, half-naked.
And several naked women were asleep on his bed.
He casually covered his chest and said one word.
“Pervert.”
The Saintess’s face flushed bright red.
“W-Who are you calling a pervert?!”
“You barged in without my permission and ogled my body. That makes you a pervert.”
“How was I supposed to know a scene like this would be waiting for me?! Besides, you’re the pervert, Sir Hero! To indulge in such… such debauchery…”
“Debauchery? What debauchery?”
Smack—!
Han Jisu slapped the butt of a woman sprawled out beside him. She stirred, rubbing her eyes as she woke up.
“Mmm… Sir Hero? Are you ready for round two already?”
“Round two? Forget it. Wake the others and get out. I have a guest.”
“Aww… Do we have to go? We’ll be quiet, so can’t you just talk here?”
“Should we?”
“What do you mean, ‘should we?’?! P-Put on some clothes this instant!”
“She says no.”
“Tch…”
The woman grumbled as she started to get dressed. Once she was done, she woke the other women and had them put on their clothes. Annoyed but compliant, they dressed and left the room.
“Well then, Sir Hero, see you next time♡”
The last woman blew him a kiss as she departed. Once they were all gone, the Saintess glanced at Han Jisu and mumbled.
“You should put on some clothes too, Sir Hero…”
“Why are you so embarrassed? Is this the first time you’ve seen a shirtless man?”
“Yes…”
She hung her head low. Her ears, visible through her blonde hair, were bright red.
“I see.”
Well, she’s a Saintess, so it’s only natural she’d be pure. I just didn’t realize she’d have this little tolerance.
As she wished, Han Jisu casually pulled on a shirt. Looking a little more at ease, she let out a sigh of relief.
“My, those were some very bold wives…”
“Wives? I’m not married.”
“Pardon? But just now…”
“Oh, them? They’re just some girls I ended up sleeping with after a night of drinking. Anyway, why are you… hey. What’s with that look on your face?”
The Saintess’s eyes were trembling even more violently than when she had first entered the room, as if she had received a great shock.
“F-Fil…”
“Fil?”
“Filthy! Fiend! Fallen!”
“…What?”
“Sleeping with women you aren’t even married to?! And that casual attitude about it! It’s filthy! Ahh… I had heard that the Hero had fallen to lust, but I never imagined you were such a brute…”
“…”
“This cannot be helped. To prevent you from falling any further, I, Einar, will attend to you by your side… Huh? Sir Hero. Wait. Why are you grabbing the scruff of my neck?”
“Shut up. Get out.”
Han Jisu lifted Einar by the scruff of her neck, kicked her in the butt, and threw her out of the room. Slam! The door shut violently.
“Sir Hero? Sir Hero?!”
Einar pounded on the door, but the firmly shut door showed no signs of opening.
So she pounded harder.
“This won’t change anything! You will receive my guidance and be reborn as the proper, noble Hero you once were! This is destiny! You cannot defy it!!”
Bang, bang, bang, bang!
Han Jisu sighed at the sound of the incessant knocking.
“How is she so similar, even in her actions…”
A headache was starting to set in, so he decided to just go back to sleep.
*
Just as she’d declared that nothing would change, Einar proved to be an obsessive woman. From that day on, she began to follow Han Jisu around with the goal of correcting his debauched lifestyle.
“Eating with your hands is so undignified. Here, look. You use a fork and knife like this… Aah! Don’t slurp your soup! Savor it. I said, savor it!”
Even when he was eating.
“Anna. Kasiri. Smash those barrels. Every last one. If even a single drop of alcohol passes the Hero’s lips, you will be severely punished.”
“Hey. What do you two think you’re doing?”
“Eek?! S-Sir Hero? Anna! Kasiri! What are you doing?! Smash them, now!”
Even when he tried to drink.
“Ladies, are you sure about this? He may be the Hero, but he’s still a strange man. He won’t take responsibility if you have a child. The Hero is just an irresponsible… c-creampie… Ugh…”
“Why are you blushing after saying that yourself?”
She interfered constantly, even when he tried to embrace a woman he’d met at a pub.
Honestly, it wasn't that he wasn't annoyed, but Han Jisu couldn't bring himself to get angry with her. Every time he looked at her, he saw Ash’s face.
But there came a day when even he couldn't hold back his anger. It was during the defense of Cotland Castle in the south, when the 8th, 10th, and 11th Legion Commanders led a massive army north.
The human forces devised a plan: while the demon army was focused on attacking Cotland Castle, the Hero and a small elite unit would circle around and assassinate the Legion Commanders.
The plan itself was fine, but the problem arose when the Saintess, Einar, stubbornly insisted on joining the elite unit.
When Einar refused to back down, Han Jisu finally lost his patience and dragged her into an empty room.
Slam!
Han Jisu cornered her, planting a hand on the wall beside her head. With a deep frown, he spoke.
“I don’t know what you’re thinking, but that’s enough. This isn’t a problem you can solve by being stubborn.”
“No, I must go with you. Your opponents are Legion Commanders, aren’t they? If you were to be gravely injured, I’m the only one who could heal you.”
“I’ll be fine. Stay inside the castle and heal the wounded soldiers.”
“The other sisters can handle that. But only I can heal you if you’re injured, Sir Hero…”
“Hey. I said, that’s enough.”
His low voice pressed down on Einar. She swallowed hard, facing his menacing aura—an aura that would make even a fearsome monster tuck its tail between its legs.
“I’ll say it again. Your role is to stay safely within the castle walls and treat the wounded. Got it?”
“…”
“Since you’re not answering, I’ll take that as a yes. And from now on, stay out of my sight. I haven’t said anything until now, but you’ve been getting on my nerves.”
With that, Han Jisu removed his hand from the wall. He was about to leave the room, but Einar grabbed his sleeve.
“Is there something else you want to say?”
“…I will do as you said before. B-But I cannot obey your order to stay out of your sight. I can’t do that…”
“You really—”
Frowning, Han Jisu turned around, only to freeze. Einar was on the verge of tears.
“I know. I know you’re struggling, Sir Hero. You don’t feel any joy even when you live so recklessly.”
“…Why do you think that?”
“I saw you… I saw you drunk, leaning against a wall, crying all by yourself… It was by chance, but the moment I saw you crying, my heart ached… I couldn’t just leave you alone…”
“…”
“W-Won’t I do…? I know I’m lacking compared to your old companions, but I want to help you if I can…”
Her plea was not just desperate, but heartbreaking.
Han Jisu couldn't understand.
“…Why are you going this far?”
“I told you. When I saw you crying, my heart hurt. I couldn’t just leave you be. I don’t know the reason beyond that. I just… I just want to see you smile.”
The tears welling in her eyes finally streamed down her lovely cheeks.
Biting his lip hard, Han Jisu pulled his sleeve from her grasp and turned his back.
“…Do whatever you want.”
With those words, he left the room. He ignored someone else who called out to him and walked quickly into another empty room, locking the door behind him. He stumbled over to the bed, lay down, and covered his face with his forearm.
—Sir Hero, please smile. I like your smiling face the best.
The lovely voice echoed in his ears.
The memory of her innocent smile, even as she complained, refused to fade, returning once more to torment him.
“Ash…”
Whispering her name, a name he missed so dearly, he cried for the first time in a long time without the aid of alcohol.