Chapter 32
Chapter 32
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 32
Chapter Title: Failure-2
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Red blood dripped from Elenor's hand.
She couldn't say a word.
"What... the?"
From the start, that blue light shouldn't have poured out.
The holy sword was sharp, but it couldn't cut humans.
Of course, its sheer weight alone made it a powerful bludgeon with plenty of lethality. But its force could be controlled at will.
That cutting power was premised on using the Hero's strength. It became a blade that could slice through anything with minimal mana expenditure, but if she didn't will it, it shouldn't cut anyone.
And naturally, Elenor had no intention of slashing him down. Even with the accident, it wasn't a problem serious enough to warrant killing the Emperor's cherished human.
So the moment she closed in right before him, Elenor withdrew the Hero's power.
For an ordinary person like him, the instant that light touched his body, it would have parted like soft cloth.
"What... happened..."
-Hahahahaha, look at you, what a sight!
The holy sword laughed maniacally. But the Hero's doubt remained unresolved.
The holy sword had an ego, but it couldn't do anything through that. It could only incessantly talk to or advise its wielder—it had no power to act on its own.
Infusing sword aura was solely the Hero's doing. The holy sword had never once cooperated with Elenor's will, yet she had continued slicing through enemies while wielding it.
It was the Hero's power.
Those specks of light swirling wildly around him.
The sword resting on his shoulder hadn't inflicted a single wound—it simply lay there.
Enel stood stock-still, head bowed low, saying nothing.
Elenor finally realized something was wrong.
"...No way."
As if she had never been the Hero from the beginning, she couldn't use the Hero's power at all.
What had wounded her hand was neither herself nor the holy sword.
"You don't need this anymore... right?"
Enel opened his eyes and casually gripped the holy sword's blade, pulling it toward him.
Elenor, her grip loosened momentarily from the pain in her hand, could only watch helplessly as the holy sword passed into his grasp.
It wasn't just the holy sword. The Goddess's blessings she had accumulated on her journey, the Hero's power—none of it remained.
That power had returned to its rightful owner at his will, concluding its long journey and going back where it belonged.
◇◇◇◆◇◇◇ The fallen mage stared blankly at the scene.
She had thought that if he wanted, he could reclaim his power.
But over all that time, he had never once tried. If he had wished, he could have threatened others with that power at any moment or demanded better treatment.
Yet he had never said a word about it. He had quietly accepted how he was treated.
Until yesterday, she wouldn't have understood those actions. She wouldn't have even bothered trying to.
There was no need to understand why a ferocious beast that had gone quiet turned away from its prey.
But now, she could understand.
Every minute and second the Demon King lived, people died. Enel knew that all too well.
Even if he had wielded the true Hero's power, he might have repelled the Demon King, but not as overwhelmingly or swiftly as this Hero party had slain him.
His pain stemmed mostly from the party's speed and ruthlessness. Each time he saw the corpses of those sacrificed to the Demon King's army's raids, he let out groans filled with agony.
He had endured for that reason. He had been patient for that reason—because he loved this world, because he could empathize with each and every soul dying.
'If I had...'
If she had tried even a little to understand him, would things have been different?
Elenor hurriedly dodged as the holy sword slipped from her grasp before her eyes.
It fell powerlessly, without even the Hero's strength imbued in its tip.
But even a strike laden with sorrow and exhaustion from him had to be avoided with all her might.
Even if it wouldn't release outward, the force moving that sword was undoubtedly the Hero's power.
"You want to fight?!"
She should have expected it. To a normal person, Nerwen's assault was terrifying, and fleeing wasn't shameful.
But in their last encounter, far from running at the sight of Nerwen, he had clenched his fists, ready to stand against her.
Nerwen's strength might not overwhelm other superhumans, but she was the World Tree's Great Warrior. No ordinary physical power could withstand her.
"That 'lucky' bit you mentioned... that was why, huh."
He might not have expressed thanks, but leaving the scene so casually as if nothing had happened wasn't normal behavior. He had already prepared to reclaim the Hero's power.
Elenor hurriedly drew her spare sword and resumed her stance.
His movements weren't even swordsmanship. No killing intent, no technique—just swinging the blade laden with resentment.
But even a dragon's tail lashed carelessly could kill a man. That strike was dangerous.
"What... do you want."
"Who knows. Until just now, it was going home..."
His steps were heavy. As if each one took tremendous effort, his body staggered forward.
"But I just gave that up. No idea what to do now."
The Hero gripped the sword tightly and swung it at her.
Pitting sword against sword in a contest of strength was sheer folly. Now that he had the Hero's power, her blade couldn't inflict a fatal wound.
She had no choice but to strike first and dispel his will to attack.
But he easily evaded her assault. With simple, unflashy movements, as if he knew exactly how Elenor would attack.
"...That should have been a killing blow."
"Tch!"
The princess bit her lip at his quiet murmur.
The holy sword couldn't cut people. Even if it touched the body, it wouldn't lead to a fatal injury.
It was perfect for training. He had to grow strong enough not to die at demon hands, and Elenor had forcibly honed his evasion and sword skills.
She, the Empire's strongest knight, had pressed him unconsciously with the Hero's power. The desperate struggles to escape her violent barrages still lingered in Enel's memory.
And so did her words.
Whenever he failed to dodge her attacks and collapsed in agony near death, she would approach with a cold expression and say:
-This should have been a killing blow. If you don't want to die, dodge it.
But now that he possessed the Hero's power, his vastly enhanced physical abilities and dynamic vision had reached the level where he could evade the princess's sword.
He who had sparred with her dozens, hundreds of times—his body remembered, not his mind, what assaults she unleashed with what glances.
Even if luck let her bring her sword to his body, it wouldn't mean victory. A clumsy strike would merely scratch him, not inflict a mortal wound.
"Since when... since when could you reclaim it?!"
"From the beginning."
Elenor couldn't open her mouth again. Any disruption in her breathing, and she wouldn't withstand his attacks.
"Ngh..."
Even though she had properly parried the blow, the strain on her body was immense. Forget counterattacking—regaining her stance was difficult.
She staggered to her feet, grinding her teeth. Her mind was in chaos.
She had thought he fled from his duty. Passing on the power was the natural price.
Clearing dungeons, slaying massive beasts, receiving blessings per the Goddess's plan and gaining the Hero's power—she had taken those abilities as her due.
But it was all an illusion. Regardless of her achievements or efforts, the Hero's power had been his from start to finish.
Those who worked hard deserved commensurate reward. Those who silently fulfilled their duties should naturally be respected and stronger than others.
But he had never once been weaker than her, not for a single moment.
Blocking his strikes was hard. She knew better than anyone how mighty the Hero's power was.
Her body was attuned to the Hero's power and the holy sword.
She had been a capable knight before, so with time she could adapt—but the thin sword she now held and her weakened flesh made Elenor hesitate.
Her head spun. She felt like collapsing. The princess ceased thinking, instinctively dodging and blocking his sword.
"P-Protect the Princess! If we let him..."
It was a secluded space, but there couldn't be zero guards for the Princess and Emperor. They drew spears and swords, surrounding Enel.
And that anchored the princess's fading mind.
"What are you doing? Get out of the way!"
"B-But..."
"Fetch His Majesty the Emperor, the other clerics, and mages! I'll hold this one back—hurry and escape!"
With or without the Hero's power, her duty remained unchanged.
Fulfilling her duty.
Not everyone is given trials they can overcome.
Before a horde of massive ogres, a human soldier is just a snack.
Before a necromancer herding legions of corpses, one archer can do nothing.
Yet they hold their ground. No matter how small their post, they sacrifice for the Empire. They offer the lives given to each without hesitation.
She admitted she couldn't win. Him adapting to the Hero's power was only a matter of time.
But that wasn't reason to flee.
She didn't know how far his rage would spread, but at least she had to stop it here.
"You won't take a single step past this point!"
Elenor planted her feet firmly on the ground and raised her sword, drawing out the last dregs of strength from her weary body.
To fulfill her duty.