Chapter 112
Chapter 112
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 112
Chapter Title: The Event (5)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
The emperor’s offer to readily provide a knightly order.
He might have meant well, but it was an offer I had to refuse.
First off, such a system existed in the original story.
It was a gesture to make the early stages easier.
In short, it was a system for newbies, but the losses became immense over time.
Elite knights, all of them S-rank.
Whether it was monsters or the Demon King's Army, they would slice through anything hostile to the Hero's party.
Fine, let’s say that's okay.
The problem was that they would steal all the experience points that should have been mine.
For example, you needed to be at least level 50 by the time the Four Heavenly Kings appeared, but if you took that so-called “bus,” you’d be stuck at level 40.
It was like trading the future for immediate comfort.
No, it wasn't even comfortable in the first place!
In reality, I couldn't just accept it and move on!
The knights would trail after us.
I could picture a bunch of burly, middle-aged men constantly watching my every move.
Ugh, just thinking about it is horrifying…
It felt burdensome in so many ways.
I would lose my freedom as if shackled by invisible chains.
With knights around, I couldn't even wander about freely.
It wasn't that they were completely useless, but the cons far outweighed the pros.
In other words, they were the most vicious beings in the world.
At that point, they weren't allies, but something worse than enemies.
To protect my precious experience points, I dared to refuse the emperor's offer.
“With all due respect, Your Majesty, I must ask you to retract your offer.”
It was just an offer; the final decision was mine.
After a brief silence, the emperor slowly spoke.
“I have no intention of forcing you. However, I would like to hear your reason.”
If he's curious, it's only right to answer.
Because… your knights are trolls, TROLLS!
That inner scream was transformed by this body's dignity into this:
“People grow stronger through hardship. A Hero is no different. No, I believe we need such trials even more.”
“Hmm…”
“Overcoming a crisis with the help of knights is not the right way. We must overcome it ourselves for it to become a stepping stone for growth. Only by growing stronger in that manner can we stand proudly before the Demon King in the final battle.”
I feigned a passionate speech.
As if pleased by that bold spirit, the emperor looked satisfied.
“My thinking was short-sighted. Your words are indeed correct.”
My affinity level is shooting up.
He seemed to trust me firmly because of my Hero-like statement.
My companions puffed out their chests as if they were the ones being praised.
Amidst the warm atmosphere, the chamberlain attending the emperor whispered softly.
“Your Majesty, we are running late.”
The emperor is a busier man than anyone.
I don't know the details, but his schedule must be packed.
He must have set aside a considerable amount of time today due to the importance of the Hero's party.
Despite the chamberlain's urging, the emperor remained, as if he still had something to say.
With his usual solemn face, he observed us as if to etch our images into his mind.
“Hero Jace. I respect your will. I will retract the offer I just made, but when the time comes, I shall bestow upon you a treasure from the imperial family that will aid you.”
“—!!”
Everyone was surprised, but I was the most surprised of all.
He was saying he would give us artifacts regardless of the affinity progress.
The timing would probably be when we leave the Imperial Palace, and it seems he intends to give one to each of us.
Damn, if I'd known this would happen, I would've recruited more companions!
Of course, I was just kidding; this was still unbelievably great.
Though he probably meant he was lending them, not giving them to us completely.
We would get to keep them until the Demon King was defeated.
After that, the artifacts would be unnecessary, so I wouldn't feel bad about returning them.
“I am deeply moved by Your Majesty's grace.”
I quickly showed my respects.
It was a promise from the emperor's own lips, so it would surely be kept.
The reward was so generous that I could say as much flattery as needed.
“Hmm, you accept immediately this time.”
“…”
Unlike before, you're not refusing out of courtesy, huh?
He wore a mischievous expression with that sort of vibe.
I was slightly flustered, but this barely counted as an unexpected situation.
“Good weapons and tools will save my companions' lives. I believe I must do whatever it takes to obtain them.”
It felt cringey, but what could I do? It was the truth.
For a moment, the entire party grew solemn.
Was it because he witnessed the strong bond between the Hero and his companions?
The emperor nodded as if to say ‘excellent’ and then rose from his seat.
“Tomorrow, all my subjects will rejoice. I hope you enjoy it as well.”
He left with those words of blessing and disappeared.
I stared blankly at the emperor's retreating back.
His presence was too immense to be considered just an NPC.
And the next day.
We were busy from the morning, but we didn't have to worry about what to wear.
“Wow! This is so cool!”
“Indeed, the fabric is of the highest quality.”
“If we sold these uniforms… we could easily buy a house, couldn't we?”
Uniforms embroidered with gold thread were distributed to everyone.
They were all in a matching, stylish design that made it easy to identify us as the Hero's party.
I felt like the princess had just said something absurd, but I decided to let it slide for now.
Luciel still insisted on wearing her exclusive Saintess attire.
In my opinion, it was better for her to stand out as the Saintess.
“I like it. My elegance will be displayed to its fullest.”
As always, the elf girl was lost in her own narcissism.
In truth, I couldn't feel any elegance from her at all.
Well, despite how she acts, she's still an elf, so there's a faint air of mystique about her.
A short while later, we changed into the uniforms.
I had expected it to some extent, but they looked even better than I imagined.
The sight of the girls was more than enough to capture everyone's attention.
“Truly, there's nothing to criticize. Absolutely magnificent!”
Marcel showered us with praise.
Fully prepared, we followed his lead.
Soon, we left the Imperial Palace, accompanied by knights in gleaming armor.
A massive crowd surged like a wave in the distance.
They seemed to know we were the Hero's party; the news must have spread already.
Cheers erupted from all over just from us showing our faces.
It seemed they were caught up in the festive atmosphere and getting excited along with it.
“Which one is the Hero?”
“Obviously the young man.”
“Hmm… he looks too young.”
“What does that matter? He wouldn't have been chosen by the Holy Sword for no reason, right?”
“I heard he's the heir of the Crodain family.”
“Ah, if he's one of them, then we can trust him.”
“I don't know for sure, but maybe this time… they'll accomplish something…”
We had become the talk of the town.
In any case, there was no one who would dislike us.
We were the heroes who would fight the Demon King's Army on behalf of everyone, after all.
To put it a bit cynically…
Just by becoming a Hero, you were essentially forced to make sacrifices.
Of course, I had no intention of doing so.
I would simply follow the guide to pursue a safe and comfortable journey.
“On the X day of the X month, Hero Jace and Hero Esterize were chosen by the Holy Sword. In the name of the Empire, I hereby proclaim this fact to all. To celebrate the birth of the Heroes, a grand festival shall be held for one week starting today…”
From atop the castle walls, the emperor's representative shouted at the top of his lungs.
Meanwhile, the princess and I struck various poses.
We naturally summoned and showed off the Holy Swords.
We even staged a scene where we raised the Holy Swords at the same time.
No, wait a minute…
Is this right? Something feels a bit off.
It felt like I was creating a cringeworthy memory in real-time, but the crowd's reaction was incredibly enthusiastic.
“This time, there are two Heroes!”
“How can they be so handsome and beautiful?”
“It's like they live in a completely different world from us.”
“I see why they're Heroes. Their dignity is just…”
“…”
They all shouted in unison about how good the picture was.
Both the princess and I were exceptionally good-looking, so it was to be expected.
But, I felt a prickling sensation on the back of my head.
What was the source of this inexplicable chill?
My companions were standing behind me.
The owner of that sharp gaze was, in all likelihood, Ceria.
*Aah, I can't take it anymore! The spot next to Jace should be mine!*
It was just a guess, but I had a feeling that's what it was.
What should I do?
No matter how I think about it, this doesn't seem like my fault.
I can only hope the girl's jealousy turns into even greater love.
Anyway.
The masses were busy praising the Hero's party.
We hadn't even done anything yet, but goodwill was overflowing.
Hmm, how should I put it?
It was like we had become idols in this world.
Come to think of it, maybe it wasn't so different?
The Hero possessed all the qualities to make people go wild.
They had a familiar image passed down through the ages, so people were easily drawn in.
Given the era, everyone must have played ‘Hero’ as a child.
Ah, the pressure…
The sight of people swarming like ants.
They had all gathered just to see me.
It was enough to make my stomach churn.
I barely endured it thanks to this body's dignity and the effect of Flawless.
Well, aside from that, I was in a pretty good mood.
[Fame +2000]
[Fame +4500]
[Fame +8000]
[Current Rank: Intermediate 23500/100000]
My fame was rising satisfyingly.
With the rise in rank, a sealed skill of the Holy Sword was unlocked.
Also, fame served a similar function to affinity.
With high fame, you'd be warmly welcomed even when visiting a remote village.
It was a system that gave you special benefits when buying and selling items in shops.
There were many other benefits too, so my future journey was looking to be very convenient.
Sweet… so sweet!
It was absolutely delicious.
The rate of increase would drop sharply at some point, but until then, I would savor this sweetness.
We toured various places in the capital.
The central plaza, the public park, the grand temple, and so on.
Every time we stopped at a major location, we were showered with fiery cheers.
At this point, I didn't even feel the pressure anymore.
I was just coming to realize an obvious fact.
If, by some chance, I were to fail, all these people would fall into despair.
No, what I could see was just a small fraction.
Not just humans, but other races would surely be disheartened as well.
The Hero's defeat would lead to the rise of the Demon King's Army.
A terrifying dark cloud would hang over the entire continent.
“…”
The true nature of the sense of duty I had only known in my head was now revealed.
It was never a game, but from now on, I needed to be a little more serious.
It wasn't just about me getting screwed.
One person's bad ending would lead to everyone's bad ending.
I wasn't particularly righteous, but I couldn't allow that to happen.
I unconsciously glanced at Esterize.
She was responding to each and every cheer from the crowd.
Was her self-esteem as a princess swelling?
She didn't quite know what to do, but she stubbornly maintained a bright smile.
Given her personality, it seemed she would recall this moment whenever things got tough and renew her resolve.
The event proceeded smoothly.
Most were human, but a fair number of beastkin were also visible.
In terms of ratio, maybe around three percent?
The beastkin didn't get swept up in the wave of the crowd.
With their agile bodies, they had claimed good vantage points on trees, rooftops, and the like.
Due to their nature, beastkin were usually indifferent to human events.
But perhaps because Aruru was part of the Hero's party, they had gathered in droves.
Ears and tails of all shapes and sizes.
Looking at the various cute beastkin, I found myself becoming earnest.
Even if the world ends, I have to protect those cuties…
A tragedy like Aruru losing her family must never happen again.
Our little cutie.
Are you ready for revenge?
Your role is especially important.
If you understand, wag your tail vigorously.
*Wag, wag.*
I wasn't satisfied with that response.
And for good reason; Aruru had been excitedly wagging her tail all day, basking in the people's attention.
Well, it's probably best for her to enjoy herself for now.
The event ended as scheduled, without any incidents.
With this, the entire continent would learn of the birth of the Heroes.
It was a day that made me feel many things.
Lost in thought, a certain wish came to mind.
Please, let my existence be a beacon of hope for everyone…