This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 299:

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The reason Arpheus wanted to drink with Ignotus was simple.

‘…What should I do now?’

He wanted to talk to Ignotus, who had always been a good listener.

In fact, Arpheus had been in a daze since he was summoned to the multi-communication.

Of course, when he was declared the new Hero, he expected to face the Demon King someday.

‘…Much later, though.’

Arpheus was a man who excelled at self-awareness.

Even though his swordsmanship had rapidly improved under the guidance of Leciel and the Lotus Knights, he knew he was still not skilled enough to handle top-level demons.

Among those he saw in the multi-communication, few were weaker than him.

If he was dragged to the 50th district of the Demon Realm in such a state….

‘I’m sure to die a meaningless death. Even if I use my hidden abilities… can I survive among those monsters?’

However, refusing to board would make it difficult to show his face anymore.

The hard-earned honor would plummet, and his followers would likely disband.

…For Arpheus, who called himself a hero for a single goal, it was the most frightening thing.

‘But I don’t want to run away.’

The horrors he witnessed while acting as a hero, even briefly, strengthened his resolve.

Though Arpheus wasn’t a man of an immense sense of duty, he wasn’t a coward who would waste his power while humanity declined.

In his confusion, as if things weren’t bad enough, ‘he’ appeared.

The fake Hero he thought had disappeared forever.

Arpheus was shocked upon seeing him.

‘…He could crush someone like me with one hand.’

To make matters worse, contrary to his expectations, others didn’t reject the fake Hero. Instead, they acknowledged him as the captain (albeit somewhat forcefully) and followed him.

Arpheus instinctively knew.

He would never rise as the new Hero.

It was the moment when the grand plan he had built from long ago crumbled.

“Ugh….”

This was why the man who always trained at dawn skipped his training today.

Arpheus woke up, suffering from a terrible hangover.

The daylight was already bright.

He started to get up to go for training, albeit late.

- Hiyah!

A loud shout came from outside.

Arpheus, startled, rushed out of his tent.

‘What’s happening outside?’

His lieutenants were nearby.

However, the loyal lieutenants didn’t notice him coming out and were engrossed in watching something.

There….

‘…What is that?’

Ignotus was drilling Leciel and all the Lotus Knights in the training ground.

Heroes of humanity rolling around as per his commands.

Arpheus blinked, unable to understand.

At that moment, a “Professor!” cry pierced his ears.

His alcohol-clouded mind began to interpret the scene before him.

‘Oh, damn it.’

“Ha-ha, Ignotus, I’ve developed a new technique. It’s called Demon King Slash!”

“I’m not good now but will become a proper hero someday.”

“Would you like to practice some swordsmanship too? Even an intelligence agent needs some combat skills sometimes. I can teach you my limited skills.”

The world was tormenting him.

Arpheus retreated back into his tent.

Luckily, Ignotus didn’t seek him out.

.

.

.

Time mercilessly flew by, and the day before Avalon’s completion had already approached.

The designated passengers had to depart for ‘The Ark,’ the headquarters of Sanctuary.

All the Lotus Knights, Arpheus, and his two most skilled lieutenants were to go from the Fourth seal.

Since there were many of them and the Ark wasn’t far from the central Fainel region to the mid-eastern part, they planned to travel by land.

However, the activation of Avalon was a top-secret matter.

They had to avoid being seen by the enemy and move separately.

“See you at the Ark.”

“Travel safely.”

“You too.”

After the Lotus Knights departed, Arpheus was about to move with his confidants.

“…….”

For some reason, their ‘captain’ didn’t leave and kept staring at Arpheus.

When the confidants hesitated and looked around nervously, the Hero casually touched Arpheus’s shoulder.

“We’ll go together.”

“…What?”

“I have something to talk about.”

“Talk about what?”

As countless thoughts raced through his mind, the next words that sealed any refusal whispered into his ear.

“It’s about the blessing of Zero.”

Arpheus’s face hardened.

* * *

Clunk-

Inside the wagon disguised as a merchant’s cart.

Sitting uncomfortably among the goods, Arpheus fidgeted with his feet, looking uneasy.

His gaze was about 70% on me and the remaining 30% on Nyhill, who was driving the cart.

When their eyes met, he quickly averted his gaze.

“…….”

An uncomfortable silence.

Neighing-

The sound of horses following the cart was loud.

Though he seemed curious about why many riderless horses were brought, Arpheus kept his mouth shut.

“…….”

He looked rather pitiful, having been so bold and cheerful when he thought of the Hero as Ignotus, but now finding it difficult to act that way.

‘I wouldn’t mind if he acted comfortably.’

Hero didn’t dislike Arpheus.

In fact, the Hero had some affection for him.

Though he was somewhat lacking as the next Hero, he was a decent person.

More righteous than average and kind to his subordinates.

Knowing his background, he felt more inclined to care for him.

“Isaac Harbor.”

“……!”

It must have been a strange name to him.

Yet, Arpheus, who had been shrinking back, sprang up as if pricked by a thorn.

After a moment of confusion, he nodded as if understanding something and sat back down.

“…You knew after all.”

“That you are from the Harbor family?”

“…Yes.”

Of course, Hero knew.

Right after, Arpheus declared himself to the world.

The intelligence unit began investigating him, and once he could fully replicate, he ‘read’ Arpheus as well.

This was because there was a possibility he was a bastard disguising himself as a righteous man to cause chaos.

Thanks to this, he knew everything people were curious about regarding Arpheus' origins, goals, and the source of his ridiculously immense mana.

Arpheus.

The name he hid from the world was Isaac Harbor.

He was unexpectedly from a high-ranking family in the Empire.

'Though he was an illegitimate child.'

Indeed, his life was far from smooth.

Somewhere in his childhood,

Arpheus' father was discovered by his influential in-laws to have a commoner wife and an illegitimate child.

The problem was that he had no children with his lawful wife.

Under pressure from his in-laws, he chose a very simple solution.

Complete eradication.

Sensing this, Arpheus' mother began to flee with young Arpheus.

Their escape miraculously continued to the outskirts of the Great Mountain Range, but eventually, his mother died due to worsening injuries and illness, leaving eight-year-old Arpheus alone in the world.

"...It was there that I encountered the blessing of Zero."

"Indeed."

"To be precise, I met the one who inherited Zero's blessing."

He listened quietly, even though he already knew all this through replicating.

Growth, Insight, Transposition, Severance, Efficiency, Paradox, Precognition, Evolution.

The person who found young Arpheus possessed the blessing of 'Growth.'

...Growth, like other blessings of Zero, was an extraordinarily unique ability unimaginable for ordinary humans.

'The ability to imbue land with mana, enabling the cultivation of various elixirs and plant mana.'

The possessor of Growth could exert an incomprehensibly powerful influence on crops.

The growth rate was tens of times faster than normal crops, and even planting ordinary herb seeds would result in rare mystical herbs.

"Nirvana... It was that person."

"The black-rated criminal, Nirvana."

"That person...!"

Arpheus tried to retort but closed his mouth.

It was known to the world that the black-rated criminal who vanished decades ago, 'Nirvana,' was the possessor of Growth.

An evil person who cultivated man-eating plants to harm people.

The only criminal who ever escaped from Stagnum, the prison where the expelled Desmond, who caused the auction house incident, was imprisoned.

However, surprisingly, she whimsically took in the orphaned Arpheus and raised him with utmost sincerity.

Feeding him all kinds of elixirs.

'A source of abnormally strong mana.'

Thanks to this, almost no humans could match Arpheus's mana.

After Nirvana died, Arpheus returned to the world.

Seizing the highest honour of a hero to exact revenge on his family.

"...Though I missed the timing."

The former head of the Harbor family died in battle against the demon army just before Arpheus proclaimed himself a hero.

It must have been a rather hollow situation for Arpheus.

However, commendably, he decided to fight for justice.

Even if it was just a child's desire for recognition.

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'Anyway, Arpheus's true strength is not in his immature swordsmanship.'

Nirvana left him as her successor, bequeathing the inheritance of Growth.

Along with the secret techniques of plant magic that made her the most powerful criminal.

[...A useful ability]

That's how ??? evaluated it.

Arpheus seemed to hide his plant magic as it was inappropriate for a 'hero,' but he couldn't afford such luxury in the upcoming battle.

Hero extended my hand to Arpheus.

"Hand it over."

Arpheus's eyes darkened with despair.

"...I can't give you Growth."

"Not that."

"...Pardon?"

"When you left the Great Mountain Range, you wouldn't have left empty-handed."

Numerous elixirs and rare herbs were harvested during his years in the Great Mountain Range.

They were urgently needed resources for humanity now.

I continued speaking.

"Think of it as paying off a debt."

"Debt...?"

"Achievements."

While in the North, the numerous monsters and terrible creatures the Hero hunted down.

People mistook those achievements for Arpheus's deeds, who was active nearby.

"...You chose to stay silent when it suited you."

"...Ugh."

Arpheus's face turned red with embarrassment.

"Of course, I didn't bother correcting it. It was a welcome development for humanity to have a new hope then."

"Still, I understand that I have to settle accounts. Understood."

Wooong-

Arpheus opened the entrance of the backpack he was carrying.

The knowledge of the magician he gained through replicating read the formulas and magic circles inscribed on the backpack.

'Space expansion magic.'

It wasn't a high-grade artifact that accessed a separate subspace like Valber's key, but it was still a relic from the First Era.

That, too, must have been part of Nirvana's inheritance.

And then...

Clatter-

Dozens of mystical herbs poured out from it.

Enough to make the carriage's luggage compartment look cramped.

Arpheus seemed somewhat relieved.

"I've already given some to my subordinates and sold some, so the quantity has slightly decreased."

"..."

"Take as much as you need. I can't use them all before I die anyway...."

Arpheus sighed deeply as he spoke.

Originally, mystical herbs were treasures more valuable than gold to martial artists, as they significantly increased one's absolute mana.

Even scions of prestigious families could rarely consume more than one.

"Then. I'll take them without hesitation."

Hero picked up half a dozen roots and handed them to Nyhill, the coachman.

"Eat these first."

Arpheus was appalled.

"Wait a moment!"

"Why, do you suddenly regret it?"

"No, that's not it. Mystical herbs' effects don't stack if consumed at once. They must be taken properly, and the effects absorbed gradually over time...."

Hero nodded while picking up and chewing a few large ones.

His stomach felt warm.

"I know that."

Arpheus seemed at a loss for words.

"But why..."

"As you said, there's no time to spare less than a month before the final battle."

With a light gesture, the Hero signaled Nyhill to chew the herbs without hesitation.

It felt like eating a snack.

"Good."

He gave the mystical herbs to Nyhill first to replenish the life force she used up in the Great Forest last time, and second, because she needed to overextend her 'puppet magic' from now on.

"Then, let's begin."

Clatter-

The carriage and the following horses stopped.

While Arpheus widened his eyes,

Crack-

Numerous puppets emerged from the earth, fully dressed and looking almost indistinguishable from humans.

Figures such as Zion Hiyashin, Felson Dietrich, and Lucas Wellington, who attended the meeting, were among them.

Arpheus, seeing puppet magic for the first time, looked like he was about to faint.

"To your positions."

Nyhill would have been exhausted normally, but she was in high spirits.

The elixirs completely offset the magic consumption.

For the next three weeks, Arpheus' elixirs would ease Nyhill's burden of controlling the puppets from afar.

Hero gave a brief explanation to the dazed Arpheus.

"We can't let it be known that the leaders are absent."

Even if the main force of the demon army had retreated, he didn't believe they would abandon reconnaissance.

'They would likely be even more thorough.'

Avalon's maneuvering must remain unknown until the very last moment of striking the depths of the demonic realm with the spatial transfer.

There shouldn't be any major battles until then.

As long as the puppets looked and acted the part, deceiving the demons' eyes would be easy.

"......"

All at once, the puppets mounted and dispersed.

Hero used spatial transfer magic to send those who needed to go far.

Despite the intense magic consumption, the elixirs quickly replenished my power.

"Spatial transfer magic, just who are you...."

He patted the shoulder of the bewildered Arpheus.

"Today's generous investment will surely pay off."

Hero was sincere.

Clip-clop-

The carriage set off again.

* * *

They arrived at the Ark by early dawn, having travelled for half a day.

The waiting staff of the Ark guided them to the underground where Avalon was located.

They said that among the passengers, the children and they were the first to arrive.

The others were on their way.

The children seemed to be resting in their assigned quarters.

"Then, rest well."

After greeting Arpheus and Nyhill, Hero boarded Avalon.

Clang-

The metallic floor echoed with a heavy sound.

Though he had occasionally monitored the construction of Avalon through video, this was his first time 'experiencing' it.

As he passed the entrance of Avalon,

[Welcome, Captain! Please state your destination.]

"...The captain's office."

[Current location: Central Hall. Guiding you to the captain's office.]

Zzzzzzz-

Like the Iris of Laplace projecting stored terrain information, a faint light appeared before his eyes.

Many features were integrated thanks to the participation of skilled magicians from the Magic Tower and the Rosenstark School of Mysticism.

He walked through the corridors adorned with various information panels and holographic displays, observing his surroundings.

'Where are the resident member and Noubelmag...'

Maybe it was too late, or perhaps they didn't want to be seen.

He pushed aside sentimental thoughts.

What he needed to do now was to formulate detailed plans.

Passengers would start arriving from tomorrow.

Along with familiarizing them quickly with Avalon's functions, he also needed to devise strategies for subduing the 50 sectors of the demon realm.

He was sketching a simple outline in my head when,

[You've arrived. This is the core command center of the mobile fortress Avalon, the captain's office. For guidance on key functions and authority....]

The dry voice trailed off as Hero reached the captain's office.

But the Hero had no time for detailed explanations.

"!"

There was already a visitor ahead of Hero.

Hero composed his voice.

"Yussi."

At his call, Yussi lifted her head to look at him.

It felt like he had been transported back three years ago.

"......"

Her once messy hair was now neatly styled like when she was the principal.

No traces of being worn out by alcohol.

Clear, distinct eyes.

Fair, clean skin.

Dressed in what seemed to be Avalon's black uniform, she spoke.

"I need to make a quick trade."

...Her calm demeanor caught Hero off guard for a moment.

Yussi, in the most normal state he'd seen in three years, uttered the craziest words.

"Don't even think about escaping. I just planted a bomb in the power room."

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