Chapter 485
Chapter Title: A Hero's Qualification
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485.
“Have the archer unit prepare again.”
Lil issued an order to the knight beside her.
At her command, the knight urgently pointed his sword toward the archers.
“Archer unit! Ready!”
The archers hurriedly nocked arrows to their bowstrings.
However, as the capital defense force of a border kingdom, their training was lacking, and their loading speed was noticeably slow.
“Can’t you hurry up! The enemy has entered our range!”
the knight shouted in frustration.
Watching this, Lil let out a soft sigh and raised her hand.
Rumble—!
The earth spirits contracted with Lil shook the ground.
Tamus’s advancing army lost their footing on the violently shaking earth and tumbled over.
In that time, the archers who had finished loading fired their bows.
Swoooosh!
The sound of arrows cutting through the wind rang out.
In sync, Lil summoned wind spirits to increase the arrows’ speed.
Empowered by the wind, the arrows struck down Tamus’s soldiers.
“A-Amazing.”
“Were Spiritmancers always this incredible?”
The influence of Lil alone on the battlefield was immense.
Though still young, Lil was seasoned in warfare like this, and her command abilities were overwhelming.
She was, quite literally, a being whose very presence could change the tide of battle.
The other commanders directing soldiers from the castle walls were left speechless.
“Lady Lil! You’re incredible! You’re like a goddess of victory!”
“I’m not that amazing. My brother is far more incredible. And he’s someone who wouldn’t be out of place being called a god.”
“Y-Your brother?”
The knights looked bewildered as Lil, who was clearly a beautiful young girl, mentioned a ‘brother.’
Just then, a dazzling flash of light burst across the sky.
Everyone looked up, startled.
“Look.”
As Lil spoke calmly, one of the orphans, Ru, ran up, saluted, and asked.
“Captain! When do we get to go out?”
Ru was practically itching to go out and strike down the enemy.
Lil looked at him and said.
“You all will not be participating in this battle.”
“What? Why? We’re much stronger than these people, aren’t we?”
Ru wore a look of incomprehension.
Lil replied to him.
“You are certainly stronger than them. But you are also at an age where you should be protected.”
There was a collapsed section of the wall.
Some of Tamus’s knights had already breached the city through it.
However, she had already been contacted by Jeremin about that.
‘The Shadows are helping people evacuate.’
The invading enemies were also being dealt with swiftly.
Because of that, Lil could focus entirely on this battle.
“What is your duty?”
“To defeat the enemy…”
“No. It’s to find what you want to do.”
Lil said curtly to Ru.
The orphans’ eyes widened at her words.
“So leave this kind of work to the adults. Right, Sir Knights?”
Everyone was at a loss for words as Lil winked at them.
Though it didn’t suit such a tense situation, Lil had captivated everyone around her in a single moment.
And with it, she gave them a sense of relief.
It was then.
“Are you the Lumerne third-year representative commanding this battle?”
A voice came from the sky.
Everyone’s gaze turned towards it.
There, clutching one arm with a twisted expression, was a man—Jerome.
“Are you the Guild Master of Justice?”
“You know your stuff. In that case, hand over command to me. I will be your salvation in this battle.”
Jerome said, gritting his teeth.
‘My Hero qualification was revoked? Why?!’
Having conquered countless Worlds of Heroes, Jerome knew the message he saw was no illusion.
Never in history had anyone been stripped of their Hero qualification.
If this became known, Jerome would literally become a laughingstock of history.
‘Unacceptable. I must quickly achieve a great deed and reclaim my title as a Hero!’
Such thoughts filled Jerome’s mind.
Looking at Jerome, Lil hesitated.
Even setting aside his critical injuries, she was hesitant to hand over command.
She knew well what kind of ideology he held.
But he was still a man who had attained the rank of Hero, so perhaps he was a more suitable person to command this battle than she was.
As Jerome was deep in thought.
“Seeker of Light, we are grateful for your offer to command the battle, but… the Justice Guild abandoned us. Therefore, following your command would have a major impact on the soldiers’ morale.”
“Lady Lil is commanding this battle perfectly well.”
The knights of the Carnel Kingdom voiced their intention to follow Lil.
Just as Lil’s eyes widened at their response.
“How dare you ignorant fools.”
Jerome’s face turned menacing.
“When I offer to command, you should be bowing in gratitude. You refuse?”
Whoooosh—!
Heroic Power swirled from his body.
In an instant, Lil’s eyes turned fierce.
Whoosh—!
She swung her battle hammer straight at Jerome.
“Hmph—! A crude attack!”
Jerome’s eyes glinted.
He had already expended a great deal of energy and even lost an arm in the fight with Tamus, but the fact remained that he was one of the most skilled heroes of the current generation.
He was not an opponent that Lil, still just a hero candidate, could handle.
But Lil gripped her battle hammer even tighter.
If she backed down here, all the Carnel knights would die.
Lil sensed this and clenched her teeth.
“Trying to kill people just because they won’t follow your will! You! What do you think a person’s life is?!”
“Are you lecturing me right now?! What the hell do you know about being a hero? A hero is a special human who leads the era! All other humans are just expendable pawns meant to follow the hero’s will!”
Lil’s shoulders trembled at Jerome’s words.
“I’m truly curious to see what will become of you with such a weak mindset!”
“At least I won’t end up like you! You son of a bitch!”
“What?”
As Lil spat out the curse, her power momentarily surpassed its limits.
Crack—!
A crack appeared in the barrier of light Jerome had created with spirits.
“What?!”
Crunch—!
“Kegh?!”
The battle hammer struck Jerome squarely in the chest.
His body was sent flying.
“Gasp. Gasp. How?”
[Impressive.]
Someone patted Lil’s head, as if pressing down gently.
“Lady Rariel?”
What Lil had used was none other than Rariel’s power.
She had momentarily deployed the power of the Spirit Armored that Leo had placed on her for training.
[Well, using my power was purely thanks to Lord Leo.]
When Leo deployed the Spirit Armored on Lil, Rariel had briefly resided within Lil’s body.
That had established a sort of temporary contract.
However, using Rariel’s power was entirely Lil’s own ability.
[If it weren’t for Lord Leo, you might have been the one to form a contract with me.]
Lil’s expression contorted as she looked at Rariel, who was giving her a proud look.
“Ugh?!”
She covered her mouth and ran to a corner of the wall.
“Blegh.”
It was the price for using power beyond her permitted limits.
Rariel watched with a strange expression as Lil suffered from a twisted head and stomach, then patted her on the back.
“Waaaaah!”
“All hail Lady Lil!”
“The goddess of victory protects us!”
The knights and soldiers, knowing Lil had saved them, let out a roar of celebration.
[They’re calling for you so fervently. Why don’t you give them a wave?]
“While I’m throwing… urp! up? Blech!”
[…That would be a pretty bad picture. Do it when you’ve calmed down.]
***
With a tremendous flash of light, Tamus crashed to the ground.
[That was incredible.]
Arti let out a sound of admiration.
“Well, I just unleashed an overwhelming amount of firepower for a moment.”
Even for the current Leo, maintaining that level of attack power was difficult.
It would be useless if the opponent dodged.
No matter how powerful an attack, it’s meaningless if it doesn’t hit.
Kiruan asked, intrigued.
[How does the current Leo compare to your past life?]
“In terms of attack power, it’s probably similar to when I first met Lisinas. But I’m still a long way from catching up in overall terms.”
After answering, Leo pursued Tamus.
‘He’s not completely dead yet.’
As befitting someone with immense power, he had survived that blow.
Whoooosh—! Crash—!
Just then, Jerome, who had been struck by Lil, came flying and slammed into the ground in front of Leo.
“Keuk! Cough! That damn wench!”
Jerome stood up and shouted with murderous eyes.
Leo looked at him and said.
“Looks like Lil got you?”
“Leo Flove?”
Jerome’s body flinched.
Leo, noticing that Lil had summoned Rariel, curled his lips into a smile.
“So, how was it seeing a real hero?”
“Was it you… Is my being stripped of my Hero qualification related to you?!”
“Think whatever you want.”
Jerome’s body trembled as he looked at Leo’s mocking smile.
That attitude confirmed it.
His expulsion from the ranks of heroes was connected to Leo.
“Why.”
Jerome muttered under his breath.
“Why?! A hero is a chosen being! And I am a chosen human! I was always the best! I have executed justice for the sake of the world! So why must I be cast out from the ranks of heroes?! Why, after I have achieved such great deeds?!”
Leo responded indifferently to Jerome’s screaming accusations.
“I don’t think you’re that great of a person at all.”
“What?”
“In my eyes, you’re just an idiot who thinks he can do whatever he wants with the world just because he has a little power.”
Jerome’s face hardened at Leo’s cold words.
“Isn’t the title of hero wasted on an idiot like that?”
“Graaaaaaaah!”
His eyes bloodshot, Jerome charged at Leo.
Leo dodged him.
Slice—!
With a gruesome sound, Jerome’s movement stopped.
Splat—! Thud—!
Jerome’s decapitated body collapsed.
With an expressionless face, Leo flicked the blood from Nox and pursued Tamus without a second glance at Jerome.
The capital of Carnel was currently in chaos due to Tamus’s army.
‘Unless I take him down, they’ll just keep pouring in.’
Leo chased after Tamus.
A short while later.
He found him standing in the middle of some ruins.
Realizing Leo had arrived, Tamus, in his headless form, glared at Leo and shouted.
“It’s not over yet!”
Tamus roared fiercely.
“I have not yet regained my power from my prime! Once I regain my power as a Spiritmancer, killing you will not be impossible!”
Tamus burned with killing intent.
He had inflicted a fatal wound, but he hadn’t completely defeated him.
“Stop your pathetic struggling and accept death with dignity.”
The moment Leo annoyedly raised Nox.
Flash—!
A light erupted from the ground where Tamus stood.
“This land was ruled by this body 3,000 years ago.”
Tamus’s eyes glinted.
“Is it not natural for this body to remember the location of its treasury?”
A smile playing on his lips, Tamus reached out his hand.
With that, a door materialized.
“You won’t be able to open it without a key, will you?”
“Hah. Do you think a key is needed to enter my own treasury?!”
Tamus scoffed and opened the treasury door.
Flash—!
With a bright light, the surrounding scenery changed.
When Leo opened his eyes, a massive armory was revealed.
In the center, Tamus stood beside a throne.
Tamus picked up a skull resting on the throne and placed it on his own neck.
Flash—!
The skull’s eye sockets glowed.
“With this, I have regained my full power! Hero of the Beginning! Mwahahahaha!”
Letting out a mad laugh, Tamus raised his hand.
“I will show you! The power of my proud Hero Legion!”
Whoooooosh—!
The Heroic Power extending from Tamus’s body seeped into the weapons filling the armory.
Flash—!
The Heroic Power soon manifested the forms of the weapons’ owners from when they were alive.
“I remember that 3,000 years ago, you all defied my command! But I shall forgive you! Foolish heroic spirits! You will become my slaves and rule this world once more!”
Tamus’s eyes glinted.
“With the power of the Hero Record, we will drive out the fake heroes who have risen to their positions! Let us show those fools what a true hero is! By my command, kill that man!”
At Tamus’s crazed command, the heroic spirits began to approach Leo.
Revived by the power of the Necro King, Tamus’s Spiritmancy was closer to necromancy.
He forcibly controlled others, reducing them to the undead.
Leo’s face hardened as he watched the heroic spirits approach him.
It wasn’t hardened from fear or anxiety.
He could hear the countless pained voices of the heroic spirits.
‘I see.’
Leo looked down at his own hand.
‘I awakened Spiritmancy.’
He could hear the sorrowful voices of the heroic spirits.
Just like Lisinas had.
Flash—!
A pure white Heroic Power flowed from Leo’s hand.
The heroic spirits stopped moving in the light.
“You can do as you wish.”
Leo said.
“You are free. No one can bind you.”
Clang—!
The heroic spirits that touched the pure white light trembled, then began to disappear one by one.
The weapons they held clattered emptily to the floor.
Seeing this, Tamus’s eyes widened.
“H-How!”
“I just mimicked a Spiritmancer far greater than you.”
Leo said as he approached Tamus.
Whoooooooooosh—!
An ominous killing intent flowed from Leo’s body.
Looking at Leo, Tamus spoke in a trembling voice.
“P-Please spare me.”
He was completely defeated, both as a knight and as a Spiritmancer.
Now, only one of two paths remained.
Accept death or beg for his life.
“Hero of the Beginning! This body… no! I can resist the power of the Necro King! That detestable Necro King said it himself! That another fragment of Erebos has been revived! And that man has the fragment of Erebos! I will be of great help in this era! Please spare me! As a great Great Hero! Please show mercy to your junior!”
Looking down at Tamus, who was kneeling and shamelessly wringing his hands, Leo spoke.
“Certainly, a hero with your power would be a great help.”
“Y-Yes, that’s right…”
“A hero, you see…”
Leo raised Nox.
Tamus’s face stiffened.
“But you’re not a hero, are you?”
“S-Spare me! There will surely never be another like me!”
“There are more than enough people in this era who will become stronger than you.”
“Graaaack!”
Kneeling, Tamus made one last desperate lunge at Leo.
Thwack—!
In that moment.
Tamus’s head flew into the air.
3,000 years ago.
His head was severed by a sword stroke identical to the one that had beheaded him then.
Tamus’s body crumbled away into nothingness.