Chapter 166
Chapter 166
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 166
Chapter Title: True Hero - 3
-----------------------------------------------------------------
I finished my speech and turned around.
My companions wore profoundly ambiguous expressions.
Neril, who had withdrawn her magic and was catching her breath, spoke up.
“Phew. I never imagined you’d confess to being the fake hero.”
“You said to do whatever I wanted.”
“It’s not about the words. It actually feels just like you.”
She gave a faint smile.
“It just feels strange, that’s all. We went to such desperate lengths to hide the fact that ‘Maide is the fake hero,’ and you went and announced it to the entire continent yourself.”
“Hm. If this works, we won’t have to hide anymore.”
“Maide.”
“I’m going to proclaim it loud and proud from now on: fake hero. How about I shout it every time we enter a territory? ‘Fake hero Maide has arrived!’”
Everyone burst out laughing.
Serein, who laughed the most joyfully of all, wiped away her tears as she said.
“It really would feel refreshing. I’ve been struggling so much because I’m terrible at hiding my true feelings.”
Offense cut in.
“Oh ho. Is that so? News to me.”
“Hmph. Got something to say? Spit it out.”
“I just did. News to me.”
“…….”
“Well, I do agree it feels refreshing. Same here. Quite the peculiar sensation.”
Adwin picked up the thread.
“There’s actually a flaw in calling you the fake hero. Like you said, brother—if a hero is made by humanity—then you’re the real one.”
“Exactly. By that metric, Kaild’s the fake hero.”
“Whatever the case, my heart feels so much lighter now. Whether this works or not, I don’t think I’ll have any regrets.”
That was when it happened.
Risel’s eyes, warm with a pleased smile moments before, suddenly went wide.
She gaped at something in the distance.
“Uh uh…….”
“What’s wrong?”
“Look—look over there!”
She pointed to the sky.
We all craned our necks upward at once.
Ah.
Aaaah!
Trail’s voice came through, thick with emotion.
[Blue sky.]
That was right.
The dark clouds had vanished at some point.
The rain that had been pounding the shield spell was gone without a trace.
All that remained was a crystal-clear sky.
The warm sunlight we’d longed for so desperately.
“Sniff.”
A sniffle sounded from somewhere.
“Crying, Risel?”
“You’re crying too, Serein.”
“No, I’m not. It’s just... water coming from my eyes.”
“Sniff sniff. Father, Ophelia, Agril. We did it.”
“Adwin. Don’t blow your nose on my clothes.”
“Snort! Got it, I won’t.”
“You just did.”
Swish.
Neril sidled up beside me, our shoulders brushing.
Her face was already streaked with tears.
An expression I never could have imagined from the first time I met her before my regression.
A look utterly impossible for the Witch of Atrocities.
“Maide.”
But it suited the Saintess of Coercion perfectly.
“Your face is a disaster.”
“So’s yours.”
“God, seriously. Crying like this at our age—what a mess I am.”
“It’s fine. Why drag age into it? C’mere.”
Rustle.
I pulled Neril into my arms.
I could feel my clothes soaking through with her tears.
Even as she kept crying, she mumbled through slurred words.
“Reputation. How’s the reputation now?”
Click.
Before I could even ask, Trail pulled up the screen.
[Hahahaha! Hnggg hnggg.]
‘Pick one—cry or laugh.’
[I’m not crying? Sniff.]
I peered at the screen past Neril’s hair.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 764,500]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 700,100]
We’d already overtaken him.
But that wasn’t the end.
Just like back in Impellium’s chamber, the numbers were surging at a ferocious pace.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 812,100]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 670,200]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 899,800]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 610,400]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 954,500]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 540,400]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 1,000,200]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 480,500]
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 1,190,800]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 410,500]
And finally.
[Maide Mohan Cumulative Reputation: 1,220,900]
[Adin Press Cumulative Reputation: 390,500]
Right before this whole fiasco, my reputation had been in the 400k range.
Adin’s had hovered just over 1.2 million.
Now it was completely reversed.
Adin had fallen below my old reputation.
I had surpassed his peak.
My heart pounded.
Soon the numbers stopped fluctuating.
A new message appeared.
[Ding! You have gained 521,100 Reputation Points.]
[Reputation Points to next level: 1,220,900/500,000]
[Your name echoes across every territory on the continent. (All points recovered!)]
[Neril Slaine thinks of you as ‘My Hero.’]
[Jenia Side thinks of you as ‘The Hero Who Defeated a God.’]
[Offense Daik thinks of you as ‘A Hero for the Legends.’]
[Adwin Ain thinks of you as ‘The Upright and Warm Hero.’]
[Risel Bindt thinks of you as ‘The Hero Who Will Save Humanity.’]
[Serein Magnus thinks of you as ‘The Hero Who Never Wavers.’]
The final tally for this incident.
The screen no longer bothered listing each territory one by one.
No need.
My reputation was resounding across the entire continent.
[You’ve finally made it this far.]
‘Trail. Thank you so much. This is all thanks to you.’
[Don’t say that. Don’t give me credit just for the Eye of Omniscience. This is ‘all of ours.’]
He was right.
Perhaps sensing my mood.
Neril spoke up from within my embrace.
“Maide? What’s wrong?”
“I... I surpassed Adin’s reputation.”
“W-what?”
“You all probably gained a ton too. We’ll check later.”
Right now, there was something else I wanted to do first.
I gazed down at Neril in my arms.
“This only worked because you steeled your resolve.”
“No way. I just helped kick things off. You handled the finish.”
“Without that kickoff, I couldn’t have done a thing.”
“Maide.”
“I just realized—I’ve never actually said this to you before.”
Swish.
I rested my hand on her cheek.
“I love you. Truly.”
“……!”
“Don’t go anywhere. Let’s stay together forever.”
Neril couldn’t even reply—she just nodded frantically.
I pressed my lips to hers.
Commotion erupted from the party behind us.
“What the—no way you wanna do that right now, in this heart-pounding moment.”
“Moments like this are exactly why you want to. You’ll get it someday, Serein.”
“I shouldn’t have said anything.”
“Keh keh. Not falling for it anymore. Acts like that can’t make babies.”
“Adwin, looks like you’ve still got a lot to learn.”
“Agreed. Grown up all awkward-like.”
Their banter rang out like beautiful music.
Soon, I pulled away.
I looked at Neril’s flushed face.
“Again?”
“N-no, I’m good! What’re you doing in front of everyone?”
I chuckled and loosened my hold.
Neril pulled back hurriedly, scrubbing at her face.
I looked up at the sky.
“The very first time we went to that starting line, I asked Adin something.”
Jenia asked.
“What was it?”
“I asked him what would happen to him if I surpassed even the Heavenly God’s reputation.”
“Pfft. Did he answer?”
“Nah. Just threw a fit.”
But now, I knew the answer.
Serein said cynically.
“Can’t blame him for the tantrum. He’s not gonna be a god anymore. Bet it’s happening right now.”
“Yeah. Probably tumbled right off that fancy golden throne.”
Everyone wore looks of pure satisfaction.
Mine probably matched.
My chest swelled—I couldn’t stay still.
Hoo.
I drew a deep breath into my lungs.
I raised my fist toward the sky and bellowed.
“I told you, didn’t I? If I become the hero, I’ll wipe your name away! So, what’s it like, Adin Press!”
Adin’s golden throne vanished.
He truly tumbled to the floor.
Thud.
He physically braced himself against the ground.
The act shocked Adin to his core.
“Ugh ugh. Uwaaaah.”
The divine radiance that had turned him into a giant began to fade.
He shrank smaller and smaller, more and more pathetic.
In the end, only a frail old man remained.
“Uwaaaaaah!”
Adin tore at his white hair.
His eyes bloodshot—he looked every inch the madman.
Foam flecked his lips as he screamed.
“It’s come to this in the end! Bellosian, Bellosian!”
His cries carried an unimaginable depth of madness.
Kaild recoiled in horror, stumbling back a step.
That was when Bellosian’s voice rang out.
“......I have no face to show you.”
“You think empty words fix this?!”
“......”
“Do you even know why I betrayed Impellium? I wanted to be the greatest. I wanted eternal love from all humanity!”
The Heavenly God had made that wish reality in the most dramatic way.
Humans feared gods—and admired them.
The terror and adoration in their eyes had filled Adin with joy.
He’d been happy that way.
Until just recently.
“This is all your fault. Your responsibility!”
“......”
“I warned you—any drop in faith was an anomaly. You ignored me and used that fool for some psychological warfare stunt.”
“I didn’t expect it to come to this.”
“That’s exactly why excuses won’t cut it!”
Drool.
Utterly unhinged, drool trickled from Adin’s mouth.
He didn’t even think to wipe it, just kept ranting.
“G-give it back.”
“......”
“Give it back. Make me a god again! You ruined me with your botched plan—take responsibility!”
“Impossible. Humanity has turned from the Heavenly God.”
Bellosian let out a deep sigh.
“I’m in no position to strut before Idria either.”
“Spare me the self-reflection—take responsibility!”
“I already told you—it’s impossible. Your reputation’s barely scraping the late 300k now.”
Bellosian spoke again, his tone heavy.
“Meanwhile, Maide’s cleared 1.2 million.”
“Th-that’s......”
“Yes. Your original reputation. Maide’s as good as a god now.”
“......!”
“Not the Heavenly God, of course. He wouldn’t squander his reputation chasing humanity’s love like you.”
That was the greatest difference between Maide and Adin.
The difference between a ‘fake god’ and a ‘true hero.’
Adin spoke through blood and desperation.
“N-no way out?”
“......”
“At this point, why not go to Impellium?”
“What? Impellium’s dead.”
“Even now, that lie? He’s alive! Maide got advice from him somehow, no doubt.”
Bellosian’s brow furrowed.
Plainly displeased.
Adin didn’t notice.
“Let’s find Impellium. Apologize to him.”
“......”
“Apologize... and ask him to use his mysterious power to put me back on the Heavenly God’s throne.”
“Have you truly lost your mind? Adin.”
“Uwaaaak! Don’t call me that. I’m not Adin. I’m—I’m a god. The omnipotent god!”
Bellosian decided to tune him out.
Let the madman ramble alone.
Time to gather his thoughts.
‘Dangerous.’
Maide had seized over 1.2 million in massive reputation from this.
His party members must’ve gained plenty too.
Worse, they’d mastered converting reputation into power.
‘Adin’s right about one thing. Maide got advice from Impellium.’
Impellium was definitely alive.
But where? How?
No—something even more critical.
‘I can’t beat Maide as he is now. Not outside the special chamber, at least.’
What to do.
How to overcome this impasse.
His eyes narrowed to slits.
Bellosian eyed the raving-mad Adin.
‘Hold on......’
This guy.
He’s outlived his usefulness, hasn’t he?