Chapter 11: The Hero Always Arrives Late (2)
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 11: The Hero Always Arrives Late (2)
I fell into thought as the sunlight streamed in through the window.
…Leon von Reinhardt.
'He really is ridiculously handsome.'
To be honest, Kang Geomma's face was quite pretty and he had a tall, handsome build, but Leon's looks were on a completely different level, perhaps due to his protagonist buff. A handsome man with golden hair that blazed like the sun and blue eyes that looked like embedded sapphires. Standing, he was a sculpture; sitting, he was a masterpiece painting.
As the saying goes, "a handsome face is its own justification." Just like other overpowered protagonists, the heroines fell head over heels for him the moment their eyes met.
For example... bumping into a heroine running with a piece of toast in her mouth at a corner triggers a flag. Even peeping at them naked in the women's bath triggers a flag.
'Obnoxious bastard.'
He attracted all kinds of women for the most ridiculous reasons, to the point where he could easily be called a walking pheromone. It was a relief that Miracle Blessing M wasn't an eroge.
If it had been an adult-rated game, I felt like Leon might have died an early death before even fighting the Demon King. The cause of death would probably have been sexual exhaustion.
Furthermore, the women flocking to him—the members of the so-called protagonist's party—were illustrious.
Rachel, the niece of the Spear Saint; Saki Ryozo, the daughter of the Archery Saint; and Abel von Nibelung, the granddaughter of the Sword Emperor and the greatest beauty in the story.
I stared blankly into space and let out a hollow laugh. Considering the weight of the karma Leon would have to shoulder in the future, being popular with women wouldn't be much of a consolation. I shook my head and decided to focus on the class.
Thack!
An elderly professor wearing square glasses, who was in charge of the history class, tapped the blackboard with his chalk to emphasize his point.
"This part will be on the exam. Make sure you know it."
The afternoon lecture covered the 1st Human-Demon War that broke out 700 years ago, and how Balor Joaquin, feeling the need to nurture the next generation of heroes afterward, established the Academy with his seven disciples.
'I already know most of this.'
The Hero of the Origin, Balor Joaquin, had emerged victorious after a twenty-year bloody battle against the Demon King's right-hand man and 1st Corps Commander, Lycan. "Victory" was a generous term; in reality, it was a war with no true winners, only losers.
It was said to be a history of mountains of corpses and rivers of blood—a living hell on earth, filled with screams and the thick, suffocating stench of blood. I remembered flinching even when I only saw it through the game's story illustrations in my past life.
Because of that war, Balor Joaquin lost an arm, becoming a one-armed man. Unable to participate in battle any longer, he established Joaquin Academy to prepare for the future.
But thinking about it, that guy was pretty funny too. Seeing how he boldly plastered his own name on the academy, he must have had quite the ego.
Following the 1st Human-Demon War, humans and demons signed a non-aggression pact.
Who would have thought that would be the beginning of a massive 700-year truce that lasted until now?
They were probably far too accustomed to this peace. Furthermore, I was likely the only one who knew that the prelude to the shattering of this peace had begun today.
I wanted to at least give Medea a heads-up, but that would go beyond merely intervening in the official story—it would alter it completely. So, I brushed the thought aside.
She had told me that she wanted to step down from her position as academy principal as soon as possible. However, Medea was the character who, through her unique blessing, the 'Poet's Blessing', would be the first to notice the anomalies in the story.
And... she was also the first among the Seven Stars to rush to the front lines to protect the cadets.
According to Kkeomuwiki, she was the very first of the Seven Stars to fall at the hands of the Demon King.
The thought left a bitter taste in my mouth.
What I realized while living at the academy was...
'...I'd rather not have known.'
Ending my musings, I looked back at the blackboard. Although my eyelids grew heavy during some of the more tedious subjects, the illustrious faculty of the prestigious Joaquin Academy generally explained the potentially boring lectures in a coherent and clear manner.
Thanks to that, I was keeping up with the theoretical classes surprisingly well. Of course, since the habit of working on my feet was still deeply ingrained in me, sitting down all day made me feel restless.
Even so, the sound of pencils and pens scratching against paper and the woody scent of pencils tickling the tip of my nose felt quite nice.
However, Joaquin Academy didn't weigh written exams heavily in grades. Given the school's philosophy of prioritizing practical combat above all else, practical training was generally considered the most important.
What determined whether one failed or not wasn't the written tests, but the practical exams held twice every semester. As expected of an academy that claimed to be the best in the world, the difficulty was brutal, but since I had a decent grasp of things, I was fairly relaxed.
I scanned the faces of the cadets who were diligently taking notes. Aside from failing, written exams still had a significant impact on class reassignment for the next school year, so the students' eyes sparkled as they eagerly followed the tip of the professor's chalk.
The cadets in the higher classes would be the first to be drafted for the 2nd Human-Demon War, which would take place in three years.
They called it a "draft," but in reality, it was forced conscription. I had experienced firsthand how shitty that was for two years in my past life, so I absolutely refused to go through it twice.
Therefore, putting aside the joy of studying that I had discovered late in life, I planned to just barely scrape by the passing line on the written exams.
Meanwhile, a sudden question crossed my mind.
If even Balor Joaquin, said to be the strongest of all time, could only manage to seal the 1st Corps Commander, just how powerful was the Demon King who ruled at the apex of the demons?
Come to think of it, back when I played Miracle Blessing M, I wondered if there had even been a player who progressed far enough to reach the Demon King.
'Surely it's not some crazy story where the protagonist loses, right...?'
Well, whatever. It had nothing to do with me. The protagonist, Leon, would take care of it.
The scratching sound of the cadets' pencils settled quietly over the classroom. Having lost the flow of the lecture due to my stray thoughts, I merely pretended to take notes, scribbling aimlessly.
It wasn't notes about the class, but habitual doodles like, 'What should I eat for dinner?'
For me, worrying about my daily meals took priority over worrying about state affairs.
* * *
That evening.
As usual, I stopped by the campus market to buy groceries for dinner. It was one of the most enjoyable times of my daily routine. Most of the children from wealthy families went to the campus cafeteria without having to worry about what to eat.
Well, at this point, I wasn't particularly envious. Food I cooked myself tasted better than food made by others, which was usually just overly seasoned. Besides, it wasn't like I had spent twenty years handling knives for nothing.
"Oh? Geomma-kun!"
While I was rummaging through the ingredients section and comparing prices, a youthful voice calling my name made me turn around. Indeed, it was Chloe, the only person who called me Geomma-kun.
I groaned inwardly, feeling a sudden wave of tension.
"Oh, hey. Fancy meeting you here. Are you grocery shopping?"
"Ah, yes!"
Perhaps because she had made a friend, her voice carried more energy than before. I shifted my gaze slightly to scan Chloe's cart, which was packed with all kinds of fish. I couldn't help but think that her spending habits were still extraordinary.
Chloe cautiously read my expression, her lips parting slightly.
"Um, by any chance... did I make a mistake back then?"
"A mistake..."
As expected, she seemed to have no memory of that time. A dry laugh escaped me at the thought of whether drawing a katana and trying to kill me could be considered a mere "mistake."
After pondering for a moment, I decided to ease her worries. On one hand, I wanted to bluntly tell her, 'Chloe, you almost took my head off,' but holding a grudge wouldn't change anything. Like it or not, we were going to see each other in the same space for a year, and I couldn't avoid her forever.
"Nothing happened."
"...Really?"
When I nodded silently, Chloe's face lit up.
"...Thank goodness."
Chloe let out a small sigh of relief, patting her chest. Her shoulder-length red hair swayed. She seemed to have tidied it up, and the neater look suited her well. Looking at her like this, she was nothing but a small, cute girl.
'Just what is her true identity?'
What kind of past lay behind this innocent and cute face? Even though Chloe had been unconscious, I knew because I had clashed swords with her. For some reason, her blade had been steeped in sorrow. It felt like a mournful plea to be saved, a desperate cry to escape. Yet, the murderous intent laced in her blade was so fierce it made the hairs on my body stand on end.
It was just a guess, but even if her raw strength was less than that of the Mao twins, she would be far more dangerous than them if her goal was murder. Shaking off my mounting doubts, I asked Chloe.
"By the way, Chloe, why don't you eat at the cafeteria instead of grocery shopping yourself?"
"Ah, well... the food doesn't really suit my taste. It's just too salty and spicy..."
After complaining briefly, Chloe looked at me with her round eyes and said,
"Um, if you don't mind, Geomma-kun, could I treat you to dinner tonight? Ah! Of course, I'm not as good at cooking as you are, but I really want to treat you..."
'Dinner, huh...'
Man, those eyes of hers really put me in a spot. It felt bad to refuse, but if I accepted, I felt like I might wake up inside a refrigerator the next day. With a troubled expression, I racked my brain for a suitable excuse to decline before finally speaking.
"It's not exactly a substitute for dinner, but could I ask you a favor instead?"
Chloe's eyes widened, and she tilted her head.
"A favor?"
"Well, I want to learn some swordsmanship, and I couldn't think of anyone else to ask but you, Chloe."
"O-only me?"
Chloe's face flushed red. She cupped her flushed cheeks with both hands and shook her head to cool herself down.
"B-but you're already strong enough, Geomma-kun."
"I want to get used to a new armament. To prepare for the upcoming exams, I think it's best to try out various weapons. You had a katana in your room before, right? You use a sword, don't you?"
"...So cool."
"Hmm?"
"Ah, it's nothing!"
Chloe waved her hands frantically, her voice rising in excitement. Then, catching her breath, she nodded quietly and spoke.
"Are you really okay with me?"
"I'm asking because it's you, Chloe. If it's too much, you can refuse. Don't feel pressured."
Chloe nodded vigorously, accepting my request. It wasn't a bad excuse to avoid an intimate dinner with her.
I needed a swordsmanship instructor anyway, and she was strong enough for me to acknowledge. Enough to send a shiver down my spine.
And so, Chloe and I agreed to have our respective dinners and meet at the training ground by 8 PM.
'Looks like I managed to get through that safely.'
I gave her a casual wave goodbye and let out a sigh of relief.