Chapter 204: Hero’s Return
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 204: Hero’s Return
“You must not assign a value to the Pauper. Whether it’s her true worth or a false illusion, you have to eliminate the very concept of value itself.”
With those words, Lena’s master, Susan, finally found the answer to a problem that had remained unsolved until now.
The young man was rude enough to call her disciple a 'pauper,' but the solution he offered was the definitive answer that pierced through her cursed fate.
Lena’s fate hadn't always crushed her mercilessly.
In fact, if it had simply crushed her beyond recovery, she might not have suffered this much.
Fate wasn't just ruthless; it was cruel above all else. It would open a path just as she was about to give up, and then, just as she felt a glimmer of hope, it would snatch it away like stealing a child’s toy, reveling in the sight of her disciple sobbing.
Susan was simply proud of Lena for growing up to be such a good person, never giving up despite a destiny filled with nothing but misery.
Yet, the young man her disciple met in Yggdrasil had offered a solution so easily.
Do not assign value.
At first, Susan wondered what he meant, but after reflecting on it, she realized the truth.
The fate that tormented Lena so relentlessly was being determined by those around her.
It wasn't people with ill intentions.
Ironically, the torment of fate grew in proportion to the expectations of those who were proud of Lena for her resilience, those who loved her, and those who believed she would succeed.
How many times had Susan thought that a brilliant future would finally await Lena after she overcame her hardships?
Every single time, something incomprehensible would happen, and Lena would be crushed by fate once again.
This was something no one could understand unless they were close to Lena and had watched her from nearby.
Who would believe in the power of fate? Who would believe that the expectations of those around her created misfortune?
People who saw Lena from a distance would simply say she was unlucky or careless.
In fact, even Susan, who had watched her most closely, hadn't realized it until she heard the young man’s words. So who else could have known?
What others would have dismissed as nonsense, the young man explained calmly, and Susan was finally able to resolve her long-standing worry.
However, another concern soon followed.
To not assign value—that was an impossible task.
The 'value' the young man spoke of didn't just mean money.
Susan, who would risk her life for her disciple; parents who loved their child; the friends surrounding her—the tangible and intangible value was immeasurable.
The young man solved this concern easily as well.
“Just make the debt even bigger. Parental love, a master’s affection, a friend’s loyalty… it’s crude, but it’s not like you can’t convert those into monetary terms. How much is your life worth, Master? 100 billion G? 1 trillion G? Or maybe… 10 trillion?”
It was an unimaginable sum.
It was an amount of money Susan had never possessed or even dreamed of, so she couldn't even fathom what could be done with it.
This was exactly what the young man was aiming for.
He intended to overwhelm the things that couldn't be converted into money with sheer volume—with even greater wealth.
“How can a mere human stop fate? So, let’s think of another way. We suppress her value into the negatives. With a debt so massive that even the love of a master or parents can’t cover it. You know what I mean, right? If we do that, how will fate act?”
Fate would strive to keep Lena alive.
Just so it could keep playing with its toy.
The young man had smiled and handed Susan a document.
It was an agreement stating that he would buy up all the debt Lena owed to Susan.
“I’m going to consolidate all of Lena’s scattered debts onto myself. And I plan to make her incur even more debt. She’ll probably have to spend her entire life paying it back. Occasionally, I’ll have to bully her myself to keep fate satisfied. How about this kind of bullying? Taking her on requests that are a bit dangerous, but if she survives, her skills will improve and she’ll become famous?”
He called it bullying, but everything the young man said meant he would provide the foundation for Lena’s growth.
Though it would be difficult at the time, Lena would grow stronger if she overcame it.
Sensing that there was no ill intent behind the young man’s words, Susan asked him why he was going to such lengths.
Yggdrasil was the first time he and Lena had met.
They hadn't known each other long, and they weren't close enough for him to show such kindness by spending such a vast sum of money.
“That shitty developer… no, I just felt sorry for her. Ah, if I say it like that, does that become a 'value' too? Then let’s put it this way. I’m doing it so I can bully her and work her to the bone for cheap.”
Ten trillion G was 'cheap' to him… For someone who said one shouldn't assign value, wasn't this young man valuing Lena more than anyone else?
Susan was flabbergasted, but she couldn't help but admire the young man who was trying to trick a cruel destiny.
Her difficult decision to go to Yggdrasil… meeting this young man there must have been her disciple’s greatest stroke of luck.
She has finally met her benefactor.
As Susan fought back the tears that threatened to spill over, the young man gave a thin smile.
“Being tied to me will probably be very hard. But at least she’ll be able to live while receiving plenty of love from her master and parents.”
That was enough.
To be able to love her without worry, and for her disciple to be loved to her heart’s content—as a master, what could be happier than that?
Susan sat on the veranda, sipping tea while watching a live broadcast of the Mage's Grave on her smartphone.
It was a sight that would have shocked Lena, who knew her master enjoyed the quiet and stayed disconnected from the outside world. But there was no way a master wouldn't watch when her disciple had entered a dangerous zone.
As a master, she was worried, but if it was that wise young man who understood her disciple’s fate and even provided an answer, he would surely emerge safely with her.
* * *
“Hyaaa! Don’t touch my butt! Please take your hand off…”
“That’s not my hand.”
“Hyat…! Y-y-y-you pervert… Hmph… Master, this person isn't a benefactor at all…”
Ignoring the Pauper who was muttering to herself on the verge of tears, I looked at the Swindler.
Seeing him trembling, he must be pretty pissed, huh? Why would you take on a 10-trillion-G debt then?
“Once you get out, you’re going to owe me 10 trillion G.”
“What?! Why me?”
“He said you’re worth 10 trillion. Since I saved you, you owe me 10 trillion.”
“That’s ridiculous… T-t-this is i-i-illegal!”
“Then should I just stop? What’s illegal in a place where people scam others openly?”
“Heeeee… please save me.”
“By the way, I also bought your master’s and your family’s debts. With that, it’s 10 trillion, 200 million, 38 million… what was the rest? You know what, I’m feeling generous. Since it’s increased by 10 trillion, I’ll write off everything below the 8 million mark.”
The Pauper groaned at my yakuza-style math.
Just stay still. I’m doing this for your own good.
I’m looking forward to seeing how much she’ll grow once her fate is changed.
As I’ve said before, magic costs an astronomical amount of money.
Even with just a little support, Rio is growing like crazy, making the term 'Comedy Duo' seem meaningless.
She was a pretty useful character in the game too, so how much will the Pauper grow now that her 'wealth luck' inhibitor has been released?
Will she grow to the level of Chika or Yukina?
If that happens, her value will seem incredibly high, but since she’ll be in Akito’s group anyway, that value doesn't apply to me.
Akito, you bastard, you better be grateful to me.
I’m taking the Pauper, whom you don't even care about because she lacks skill, and giving her back to you all nicely packaged.
“Where did the card dealer go? Not playing? Deal them quickly. I told you I have a package to receive.”
“… …”
When I flicked my finger, the Swindler glared at me, grinding his teeth.
“Are you dealing cards with your eyes? They say the hand is faster than the eye, but are you disabled or something? Why are you so slow?”
What are you going to do by glaring?
Even if he can manipulate the win rate, the zone itself is a place that forces the game, so the Swindler deals the cards while trembling with rage.
“All-in.”
“Fold.”
“All-in.”
“Fold.”
How long is this guy going to keep folding?
Realizing he can’t win, the Swindler is just stalling by folding immediately.
It’s a good thing I raised the stakes at the beginning; otherwise, I think we would have repeated all-in and fold for an entire week.
“All-in~ How long are you going to keep folding? It’s not fun anymore, so just bet everything and die.”
“…Fold.”
“Are you sure about that?”
As the Swindler folded again right at the start, cracks began to appear in the surroundings.
The world, the zone, began to crumble, and the stacked chips fell noisily due to the vibration.
“It looks like the zone has already conceded. You scamming bastard, what are you trying to achieve by struggling alone? Just deal the cards.”
“… …”
Huffing and puffing, the Swindler had no choice but to deal the cards.
This time too, I pushed all my chips into the center without even checking my cards.
“All-in.”
“… …”
Crrack—
The Swindler’s body began to crack like porcelain.
He glared at me as if he wanted to kill me, but there was nothing he could do.
“You were so weak it wasn't even fun. Bring some actual skill to the next zone.”
With my final words, the surroundings were dyed in white light.
The light, which was so bright I couldn't even recognize the Pauper right in front of me, faded away, and a massive roar of cheers erupted.
“The Grave has been cleared!!”
“The heroes have returned!”
Ayy, heroes? You’re laying it on a bit thick.
If you’re going to do it, add 'handsome and talented' too. Praise me more.
A huge crowd had gathered around the cleared zone.
Agents who had been guarding the perimeter, reporters I had called in case the government tried to take all the credit, and even people who had come after seeing the live broadcast—anyone watching would think we had just saved the world.
The cheers grew even louder as we brought out everyone who had been presumed dead.
Smack—
“Ouch!”
“Kyang!”
When I slapped the backs of Rio and the Pauper, who were overwhelmed by the sheer pressure of so many people, they looked back at me in surprise.
“What are you doing? Did you commit a crime? They said it’s the heroes’ return. Show the people what a hero looks like.”
A smile spread across Rio’s face as he stared blankly, and then he struck a bizarre pose with Masayoshi.
Do they really think that looks cool? No matter how I look at it, they’re going to kick their blankets in embarrassment later when they see those photos circulating on the internet.
The Pauper was still dazed, just blinking her eyes, but when Park Yu-jeong put her arm around her shoulder and forcibly dragged her in front of the people, she shyly gave a modest V-sign while blushing.
“Take all the rescued people to the medical unit! Move quickly!”
The official I had seen when first entering the zone quickly issued orders, then approached with his subordinates and saluted.
“I greet the heroes who saved the Asen Industrial Zone.”
“Ahaha… I only did what had to be done, of course.”
Ahaha! Hype me up more. Tell me I’m handsome, tell me I’m cool. Tell me you should give me more money.
The official glanced at the rescued people and wore a satisfied expression.
I don’t know what his story is, but it’s good that he seems to be in a good mood.
A short while later, after things were settled, the scheduled briefing began.
First, the official announced that the Mage's Grave had been cleared and that everyone presumed dead had been rescued, causing the reporters to gasp in admiration.
Aren't they getting a bit too excited, saying there’s no zone humans can’t clear and that it’s a leap for humanity?
The official explained the feat with such passion and the reaction was so good that it didn't seem like I’d have to worry about getting cheated out of my money.
* * *
Yggdrasil Magic Research Club.
It was created for magic research, but since it was a club, it was also a place where students spent time together even when there was no specific work to do.
“Humanity will take another step forward. Starting with the Asen Industrial Zone…”
On the smartphone Chika was watching, footage from the scene where the Mage's Grave was cleared was playing.
She wasn't the only one watching; everyone gathered in the research club was showing interest.
It was a crucial zone responsible for the production of magical tools, yet it was a zone the government had even given up on.
They were currently witnessing a moment of history, so even if Yeon-woo, whom they disliked, was involved, they couldn't help but be interested.
“Wow… the Mage's Grave actually got cleared.”
“Hmph, Akito would have cleared it too if he had gone.”
When Chika marveled, Kurumi clicked her tongue and downplayed Yeon-woo’s achievement.
However, many people gathered here—Shiori, Justina, Shunya, Kaira, Ailee, and others—couldn't agree with Kurumi’s words.
The notoriety of the Mage's Grave was that widespread, and the fact that so many people had entered and failed to clear it meant it was a zone where magic couldn't be used.
Was it just magic? There were clearly unreasonable laws, which is why everyone failed and the government washed its hands of it.
Yeon-woo had cleared that in a single day.
No matter how much they disliked him, it was an achievement they had to acknowledge.
On the screen, after the briefing ended, Yeon-woo came out as the team representative to take questions from reporters.
Yeon-woo answered questions meticulously about what kind of zone it was, what the process was like, and how they cleared it.
“Difficulties? We went in prepared, so it wasn't that hard… Ah, there was one thing. Sebalan? There was this Black Agent, and when I saved him, he suddenly started interfering with me. Because of that, we almost failed. He was the leader of the second or third team that entered the zone… I heard he’s a Rank 4 Agent, and he said he was a zone veteran? Something like that…”
It was small talk that didn't really need to be said.
However, Yeon-woo spoke longer about that than other questions, subtly laying out information about Sebalan.
Those who knew him well realized that Yeon-woo was intending to screw over Sebalan by using the media.
“I don’t know who he is, but he must have been annoying in the zone. That guy is really petty.”
When Chika chuckled as if it were amusing, Kurumi frowned at her.
“You really like trash, don’t you?”
“…Are you picking a fight again? Fine, let’s say I like him. It’s better than being a loser who’s jealous behind the back of someone who’s achieved something great.”
“Are you insulting me right now?”
“Who’s insulting you right now? Me? Or yourself? Why don’t you use your brain and think about it?”
Shiori felt that, for some reason, Chika’s way of speaking was similar to Yeon-woo’s.
Is it because they’ve gone on requests together or spent a lot of time together…
Normally, Shiori would be stopping the two of them from fighting, but right now, Chika was just calmly mocking Kurumi.
While Kurumi was getting angry and raising her voice alone, the door to the inner room with the bed opened, and Akito and Emma stepped out.
As he emerged, the noisy research club fell silent, replaced by Yeon-woo’s voice flowing from the smartphone.
“Clearing a zone doesn't make me a hero. It’s something anyone can do if they work hard and prepare. Ah, but you shouldn't let your ambition get ahead of you like Mr. Sebalan. I’m not a hero, just a mage with a Black License that you can see anywhere. Though I only have a temporary one, not Rank 4.”
Akito walked over silently and stared at the screen showing Yeon-woo.
Shiori had been feeling that her brother was a bit strange lately.
Usually, the brother she remembered was a wonderful person with a warm smile, but the cold expression he sometimes wore when he was alone made her afraid, as if he wasn't the brother she knew.
Akito’s face as he watched Yeon-woo in silence was expressionless, and Shiori just watched him warily.
“You all are the real heroes. Eheh—”
After thoroughly trashing Sebalan and ending with pleasant words, Yeon-woo stood up, and the screen transitioned to reactions of people praising the heroes who cleared the zone.
“Yeon-woo is truly amazing. Everyone thinks so, right?”
Akito said with a smile.
“…Ah, but you’re still more amazing, Brother. That man is nothing special.”
No one could respond to his words immediately until Shiori answered urgently.
His mouth was smiling, but his eyes were not.
It was an expression they could never have seen from him, who usually only wore a gentle smile, so the sense of dissonance was immense.
Emma then hugged Akito from behind and started badmouthing Yeon-woo, but the others made excuses and left the awkward atmosphere one by one.