Legends of the Hall of Heroes
Finally, Zien's party arrived in Central. The central hub of the government and the most advanced city of super science, it boasted a wondrous landscape of towering skyscrapers intertwined with artificial waterfalls.
"Whoa! The golden fountain!"
Chris gawked at the unfamiliar sights, and Amy stifled a laugh with a "pfft."
"Ugh, so provincial."
But when she spotted Zien, Amy's face lit up.
"Party leader! Hehe, you got here early? I've finished setting up the broadcast!"
Thanks to the hierarchy they'd established at school, Amy was brimming with enthusiasm.
Chris shot her a pitiful look.
"Ah, no wonder the train was so quiet."
"Hmm, a compliment? Broadcasters can't have dead air, you know."
Amy never backed down from a single word.
But Chris was no slouch in a verbal spar—he'd never lost a battle of wits. A tense standoff ensued.
"Whoa, openly calling yourself a broadcaster now? Aren't you a Saber?"
"Didn't you know? It's my side gig."
Kua stepped in before the bickering dragged on.
"You two are really close, huh."
At Kua's words, Chris grimaced in disgust and turned to Zien.
"Zien. Where you headed today?"
Gate raids were tomorrow. With their arrival in Central complete, they had a full day of free time.
That was why everyone except Zien was in casual clothes.
"Hero's Hall."
Lucia flinched at Zien's answer. She seemed about to say something but held back. Chris nodded knowingly, as if he'd expected it.
"Seriously, coming all the way here just to study history..."
"Well, Hero's Hall only exists in Central. Oh, what about you, Isabel... where are you going?"
Isabel replied to Kua's question with a sour expression.
"Why do you care?"
"Ah! I mean... if we're headed the same way, maybe we could go together!"
Kua was overly flustered.
Isabel pulled out her guidebook.
"I'm going to Apelsweet Dessert Shop."
"Gasp! I was craving something sweet too."
Meanwhile, Chris eyed Demona with a dubious look.
"Just being polite here. You?"
As expected, Demona pulled out her phone and showed him an address.
Chris tried—and failed—to picture Demona at a cat cafe with her blank expression.
"...Yeah. Have a good time."
"I have a meeting with broadcast staff today, so... back at the dorms. See you tomorrow, party leader!"
Amy remained deferential, treating Zien with utmost respect.
"Alright, see you all later!"
With Kua's cheerful farewell, the members parted ways for their individual errands.
Hero's Hall.
Also known as the Gate Museum, this place preserved the entire history of Sabers.
Given its importance, entry fees were steep and procedures strict.
But.
"Whoa! Arcana uniform! Hey, weren't you on the broadcast recently? Arcana's party leader! Sword God!"
As a student Saber, Zien got full access to all facilities for free. The manager's hospitality didn't stop there.
He even assigned a chatty guide just for Zien.
"I'm a huge fan of Chris!"
"Chris?"
Compared to Zien and Isabel, Chris's tournament performance had been lackluster. He'd even lost to Demona. But the guide didn't seem to mind.
"Yeah! Chris! Something about him just makes you wanna cheer. Haha, they're all cute."
Zien entered the Gate Gallery, tuning out the guide's nonstop chatter.
This hall featured high-rank gates inscribed with Zone 3 terms like Calamity, Specter, Dragon, Aberration, Annihilation, and more—even the Rank 8 gate that had appeared only twice.
The history of various gates was meticulously documented.
Zien paused before one entry.
This one's here too...
He'd stopped at the Rank 6 gate World Tree Guardian. In his past life, he'd cleared it with Peil and nine other Sabers, defending the north against invaders and saving the World Tree Yggdrasil.
We got a blessing from the elven forest back then. That's when I unlocked my third skill.
Zien glanced at his Stigma.
It's sealed now, though.
In the end, he realized memories alone couldn't restore it. Even when he'd unlocked Moon Sword fighting Isabel in the exam, Zien had pushed himself to the brink.
That's why I could assimilate so deeply.
Noticing Zien's contemplation, the guide's expression shifted subtly.
"World Tree Guardian, Rank 6, huh?"
Unlike her earlier info-dumping, her tone was solemn now.
"The leader of that raid party, Evan Crowe—he's the Saber I respect most."
Hearing others evaluate his past life felt awkward, but Zien didn't mind.
"Ah, right. As a Saber, you've probably studied it in textbooks."
"A bit, yeah."
"The Saber who cleared a Rank 8 gate. But he died for it. It's such a famous gate that there are tons of versions of the story, but they all share one thing."
Even if he recovered all his memories, Zien would remain thoroughly Zien.
"What?"
"To clear the gate, he chose death. I'm no Saber, so I don't know for sure, but it couldn't have been an easy choice."
Yet the guide's words stirred fresh emotions in Zien.
Receiving comfort in a place like this...
Zien smiled unwittingly. Sensing the connection, the guide offered a handshake.
"And that's the end of my guided tour. It was an honor."
"The honor was mine."
As the guide left, Zien reflected. Sabers—those who clear gates to save humanity.
Just as his past self, Evan, had saved others, Zien had been saved by someone today.
This world, upheld by even a single revered hero, felt less like chance and more like destiny.
Maybe there's no such thing as coincidence. Perhaps recovering my memories...
With a steely gaze, Zien pondered. Every event had its reason.
Lucia Elquenes.
She was one of the official heirs to the Elquenes family, hailed as a heroic lineage.
But.
After Battle Survival ended, Lucia had abandoned both the sun and moon thrones.
Her drive was no longer admiration for others.
She had grasped the difference between sun and moon. Even without borrowed light, she had learned to shine on her own.
Lost in thought as she walked, Lucia halted at her destination.
This is...
She'd stopped before a statue at Hero's Hall.
The Elquenes family's greatest heroes: Peil Elquenes and Sina Elquenes.
Even viewing the statue and its timeline inscription stirred little in her. Impressive people. Our family's heroes. That was it.
Then, a familiar voice called out.
"Lucia?"
"...Huh?"
Startled, she stepped back.
She'd known Zien might come, but not that he'd end up at the exact same spot.
"Peil and Sina are your ancestors, right?"
Zien spoke their names like old friends. The casual tone was so natural, Lucia didn't correct him.
"The Elquenes family is revered as heroes because of them."
"Yeah. Makes sense—they cleared a Rank 8 gate."
Zien's nostalgic expression intrigued her.
"I wonder what they were like. Timelines only record achievements."
"Probably."
Zien fell silent for a long moment.
Memories of comrades were ancient to him. But Peil, Sina, Yefman, Jena, and...
...even Lija.
Those recollections burned vividly. Of course they did—comrades were paramount to Zien. Unforgettable.
He held every memory of them, yet couldn't satisfy Lucia's curiosity.
The G Channel headquarters in Central's branch. Amy sat in the VIP seat, receiving top-tier treatment.
"Ahh~ Gate raid's tomorrow, but picking one's tough."
"Come on, why struggle? Arcana Party's got history with our network. It's like a drama!"
Brodo fawned over 17-year-old Amy.
"Drama's nice, but other networks keep making offers~ I'm getting swayed."
Testing the waters with jargon.
Brodo wanted to yell "You little punk!" and smack her, but he couldn't.
With the director demanding Zien's appearance as leverage, Amy held all the cards. Plus, as a Saber, she could crush a mere civilian like him with a finger.
The ultimate top dog.
Amy crossed her legs, leaning back languidly.
"Whew, headache. Do we really need to broadcast inside the gate? Might just quit this gig."
"No, please!"
"Then Arcana Party skips the Battle Survival follow-up? Ah~ Shouldn't have bothered asking the party leader."
"No way! Can't have the last champ bail. I'll make it work."
"Hehe, then check this paper?"
Amy handed over the sheet with a sweet smile and cute expression. But the demands were anything but cute.
1- Broadcast must be LIVE!
[Real-time is the fun part, right?]
2- Donate drone cameras equal to party size.
[Gear's too pricey for students~]
3- Donate 10% of profits to the school.
[Do what you want with donations lol!]
4- Party promo every hour.
[We're taking on off-campus activities now! ^3^♥ Promo videos 30+ seconds!]
Brodo seethed.
Furious at Amy's power play, and at himself for having no choice.
"A-alright. I'll report to the director and accommodate your demands as much as possible~."
Grinding his teeth, Brodo forced a smile at Amy.
"Sure~ Looking forward to it?"
The contract was Amy's total victory.
My Previous Life was the Strongest Sword God