༺ It’s Been A While, Hasn’t It? ༻
“…thus, the rules for the Hero Selection will proceed as follows.”
Reading the documents handed to me, Atalante threw in those words.
“From the schedule, they’ll start with Elfante, Forge of Struggle and finally the Great Temple of the Holy Land, where the Holy Sword is displayed. Candidates from each academy will have to pass through ordeals that were prepared by the respective academies.”
I nodded at her explanation.
So far, it was the same process as I remembered.
“As per the custom, each country will nominate two candidates, and each of them will be accompanied by one entourage as a support.”
The reason why they used a grand term like ‘custom’ was because every Heroes in history had never acted alone.
There was always someone who was supporting them by their side.
Of course, they didn’t have grand or big responsibilities. At best, they’d only do some ancillary activities that would enable the Hero to act as they were required to.
How should I put it? I guess it was similar to a pet in some other games?
In the original game, this was a role that would be filled by someone from the Hero Party, but I’d be taking it this time.
“Though the Pope wouldn’t make a direct appearance…an Archbishop will come in his place, alongside a War Chief from the Tribal Alliance, and Her Majesty the Empress for Elfante.”
“…The Empress herself?”
No matter how you looked at it, it was a complete mismatch.
Since the ones who’d attend were an Archbishop and a War Chief, it should be Chancellor Sullivan who should attend it to match their status. But, the Empress would be attending it personally…it meant…
“…It is a political risk for her as well.”
The Headmistress said this with a bitter smile.
“Basically, she’s acknowledging, albeit implicitly, that her influence is below that of the Chancellor in a public setting.”
“…”
Well, even in the main storyline, the Empress was always outshone by the Chancellor. She didn’t really have a significant influence.
But that didn’t matter, the reason why she went out of her way to accept such humiliation was what mattered.
“…Is it…because of me?”
“I’ve always found it convenient that you catch on so quickly.”
Atalante brushed her hair back and nodded in affirmation.
“…For some reason, Her Majesty has great expectations of you. She’s even willing to go to such lengths just to see you in person, ignoring how unreasonable her action is.”
“…”
I’ll repeat this again. The Empress was one of the central figures in the main scenario.
Especially in the chapter where Eleanor was awakened as the Final Boss.
The biggest things that were holding Eleanor’s sanity together had been Beatrix and the Empress, her friends since childhood.
Eventually, Gideon too, after they reconciled and the ‘real intentions’ behind her excluding him was revealed, but it wasn’t the case for now.
“…It seems I cannot disappoint then.”
That was why I had to make a good impression on her.
I was confident that I could do it. As far as I had seen, the Hero Selection hadn’t deviated much from the game’s flow.
However…
There was still one thing that bothered me.
“…What’s the likelihood of the Holy Land causing trouble or getting in our way?”
“It’s pretty much inevitable that they’ll do that.”
Hearing Atalante’s response, I let out a sigh, and a bitter smile appeared on my face.
Considering that he had sent Seras after me, it was clear that the Pope was wary of ‘my growth’.
Now that my name popped up in such an ultra-major event, the Hero Selection, there was no way that he wouldn’t pull any shenanigans.
“Do you have any idea what kind of method they’ll use?”
“They will…most likely doubt your ‘legitimacy’. In hindsight, you are someone I had to hastily include, that’s why your participation seems forced. They’ll argue that you haven’t been properly vetted to participate in such a grand event.”
Well, that was one method that I couldn’t really defend against.
While I had achieved feats that were impossible to achieve considering my status as a student, it was ultimately the Holy Land who held the highest authority on matters concerning ‘Devils’ and ‘Heroes’. This was why Atalante said them getting in our way was an inevitability.
She let out a heavy sigh before continuing.
“Moreover, Archbishop Luminol has demonstrated ‘Miracles’ as proof of faith, not just in the Holy Land, but across the entire continent multiple times. If such a person directly questions your legitimacy, it will make your participation in the selection become much more difficult.”
“…That will become a little bit of trouble, yeah.”
Saying that, I flipped through the documents.
Archbishop Luminol. A middle-aged man. His demeanor painted him as a man of peace, but he was still the Pope’s underling. Beneath that face of his, he was another one of those scheming bastards.
And just as Atalante said, he had reached a high realm as a Priest. He performed several Miracles that were considered advanced even from the perspective of a Sera sweat.
Among those Miracles, the one that could be said as his specialty was…
“…”
As soon as I saw that entry on the document…
A smile crept across my face.
“…What’s wrong? Why are you smiling like that?”
“From what I see, it’ll be a bigger problem if this person doesn’t attend.”
“…Sorry?”
“You see, from my perspective, I’d rather face this person more than anyone else.”
There wasn’t a rule that stated I couldn’t scheme against them.
By them, I meant the person who they had sent to go against me.
What a coincidence.
I was actually someone who was quite good at scheming too.
Elfante was always a bustling place, befitting its name as the Imperial Academy.
However…
Even taking that into account, the current uproar throughout the school was not ordinary.
Iliya, standing next to me, looked around with an incredulous expression.
After lining up the Hero Candidates in single file, everyone was preparing to present them with a fanfare.
The crowd gathered here did not fall short compared to Empire’s greatest festivals, like the Full Moon Festival and the Harvest Festival.
“…Woah, this is no joke.”
“Are you nervous?”
“There are so many people here, of course I am!”
It really felt like it was a huge event.
You could really tell how big it was from seeing all kinds of facilities that had been set up across this vast academy in just a few days. They’d be using these for the ‘ordeals’.
‘Everyone’s excited, huh?’
Thinking this, I looked around.
Since we couldn’t reveal that traces of Devils had been found here and there, they promoted this event instead, as an international competition to determine the ‘Number One Hero Candidate’.
To others…maybe it felt like a sports event or something of that sort…
I continued to look around while thinking that when…
A sudden warmth enveloped my hand.
Startled, I turned to see who it was, only to find Iliya looking at me.
She had a drooping expression, and her eyes were downturned. Her hands were placed on top of mine.
“Please hold onto me…I’m so nervous…”
“…What?”
“When I hold your hand like this, Teach…I feel…reassured…”
“…”
Come to think of it…
During the Full Moon Festival, didn’t I also hold Eleanor’s hand like this, even when there were a lot of people around?
But back then I was the one who grabbed Eleanor’s hand.
This time, it was this punk who grabbed my hand first.
She had become a lot more assertive than before, huh?
‘…It feels like every little thing contrasts with each other.’
As if to prove that they were indeed fated rivals, even in these small details, the contrast was noticeable.
“…Can’t I…?”
Because I only stared at her silently, she asked such a question.
There was a bright smile on her face, but…
I could tell that her voice was tense. She had mustered quite a bit of courage to do this.
“…Only until we go out in front of everyone.”
“…Ehehehe.”
With a silly laugh, she then hugged my arm tightly.
I didn’t say she could go that far, but since I couldn’t just push her away, I just let her be.
[…Kill…me…]
“…”
Now, what the hell was wrong with this guy?
[Why do I have to see my little sister flirting with a guy…? Such bull—]
‘…What? Will you say some shit like Iliya is too good for me or whatever?’
[No. The sight just makes me want to puke…]
‘…’
He didn’t even have a body, what kind of stupid complaint was he even making?
Then again, I could understand his feelings. If I were a big brother, and I saw my little sister acting like this, I would react the same way too.
Wouldn’t it be like watching your pet goby going out of their way to look all pretty and cute to someone—
“…Are you having some weird thoughts again, Teach?”
“…”
How could she tell so fucking quickly?
Anyway, I should change the topic so she wouldn’t be on to me anymore.
“By the way, didn’t you say that you wanted to become the Hero because of your Oppa?”
“Yeah, but why are you bringing that up all of a sudden?”
“Well, considering what you’re trying to achieve, don’t you think your way is a little too grand?”
Like, if someone just wanted to find their Oppa, normally they’d just snoop around to gather information, not to straight out to try and become the Hero.”
“…Well, I’ve tried everything I could.”
Iliya let out a slight smile.
However…
Her smile wasn’t the usual refreshing smile that bloomed like a flower, but a bitter one that represented her self-deprecation.
“…But, no matter what I did, nothing worked.”
“…”
“The reason why I came to Elfante was because Oppa attended this school back then. I thought I’d be able to at least find some trace of him, but I could barely find anything…”
There was a deep fatigue and even a faint hint of despair in her voice.
It seemed like while I had been bustling around, she also faced a lot of difficulties. Maybe she spent almost all of her spare time searching for traces of her brother.
“That’s why I had no choice but to rely on external means from now on.”
“External means?”
“Becoming the Hero means I’ll become a famous person, right? Famous enough for my name to spread across the entire continent. If that’s the case, maybe I don’t even need to search for him, he’ll come looking for me instead…at least to hear some news about me…”
I only watched her smiling face silently.
Honestly, her idea was way too far-fetched.
In the first place, not a lot of people would risk their lives in such a dangerous event, the Hero Selection, for personal reasons like her.
Most of the candidates were motivated by a grand mission or a strong belief. At the very least a national interest was involved somewhere there.
“…”
But, when you look at it from a different perspective…
It just showed how desperate she was.
She even resorted to undertaking such an impossible task for such an unbelievable motive.
That just showed how deeply she longed for her only remaining kin.
Inside the Soul Linker, Caliban went silent.
Despite pretending not to, Caliban always clammed up whenever Iliya talked like this.
After all, what she would ultimately find at the end of her journey was the news of his own death.
“…”
But, eventually, the truth would come out.
And my role was to ensure that when that time came, Iliya would not fall into despair.
That was why…
“…If it’s that, it might happen sooner than you think.”
I only needed to do the same thing as always.
Doing my specialty, ‘compression’, bringing forth results that would normally take much longer to achieve.
With that in mind…
“Excuse me?”
“You’ll definitely become a famous person. By the end of the day, you’ll be able to achieve that goal of yours.”
The faster the progress, the better it was.
At the very least, after this ‘opening ceremony’, Iliya would become a celebrity known across the entire continent.
Enough to at least have the authority to undertake the tasks she desired without hindrance.
“…?”
I smiled slightly at Iliya, who wore a big question mark on her face. Then, I proceeded towards the podium.
[Hero Candidate No. 1, affiliated with Elfante of the Empire, enters!]
There was even an announcer here. It really felt like a sports event.
As she climbed onto the podium, they introduced her in a manner that reminded me of an athlete entering from the challenger’s corner.
‘…It’s overwhelming.’
Representatives from various nations, each seated in veiled seats across the venue. All of them had come to observe this event.
These people represented their respective countries. They were people who could alter the continent’s fate with a single word.
“…”
And even among them… I glanced discreetly at someone who was sitting at the most central seat.
The current Empress of the Empire. Cecilia the 11th.
Though she remained silent and had only been sitting quietly…
I could feel her gaze briefly pierce me before moving away.
“…”
And…
In that short, yet deep interaction, I realized with certainty.
Of one single fact
This person was here ‘to see me’.
“Welcome. Iliya Krisanax. Dowd Campbell.”
I turned to my right at the familiar voice.
This person was the War Chief of the Tribal Alliance.
Utad Han-Chai. The father of Luca Han-Chai, a member of the Hero Party.
It seemed like the Alliance had sent him as the representative.
“The other candidates will be entering shortly, so please wait just a—”
“Sorry, War Chief. But it seems we cannot have them just be on stand-by here.”
There we go. I’d be feeling lonely if I didn’t get obstructed like this. Shit wouldn’t be fun without a little challenge.
I turned towards the source of the interruption with a wry smile.
Archbishop Luminol.
The representative of the Holy Land.
From within the veil, he stroked his Holy Relic while looking directly at me.
“…What is that supposed to mean, Archbishop? Is there a problem with the Hero Candidate selected by the Empire?”
“Ah, no, please don’t misunderstand me. I have no issue with the candidate, however…”
With that, Archbishop Luminol stood up.
“I can detect an irreverent aura from that ‘attendant’ over there.”
“…What does that mean, Archbishop Luminol? You need to avoid such baseless suspicion.”
“It is not a baseless suspicion.”
Following that…
The Archbishop’s Holy Relic emitted a divine light.
It was a vast amount of Divine Power. So much so that the surrounding spectators murmured at the display.
“After all, ‘this being’ will immediately testify why I felt such an aura.”
At the same time as he spoke…
A portal tore open in front of me.
The portal didn’t serve as a simple medium for teleportation.
Instead, it momentarily created a ‘gap’ between dimensions.
Following that…
From within, ‘something’ with an overwhelming presence emerged.
“…”
“…”
And at that sight…
Despite the vast expanse of the circular seating filled to the brim…
The entire audience fell silent instantly, all eyes fixed on the portal.
A portal directly connecting from the Astral Realm to here. And the entity that emerged was undoubtedly an ‘Angel’. Halo and divine wings in all their glory.
“…Angel?”
“It can’t be, they only exist in myths and references…!”
Just as expected…
This person’s specialty that I read in the documents was…
‘Angel Summon’.
“This being who represents the Will of Heaven shall be the judge.”
It certainly made sense.
The Holy Land must be aware of my deep interactions with Devils. Summoning an Angel to ‘testify’ would certainly put me in a dire situation. They could even sentence me to death if they wanted to.
Yet, they waited until this event started and I was exposed in front of the public. This meant they were aiming to hurt me as deeply as possible with a certain dramatic flair.
Truly shitty behavior, second to none.
“O Faithful One Who Serves the Will of Heaven.”
The angel’s voice resonated deeply.
Most listeners were awestruck, some even gasping because the overwhelming presence made it hard for them to breathe.
A proof of myth had now descended upon this place.
“I have arrived in this place, responding to your—”
The Angel’s voice…
Abruptly halted upon seeing me.
“…”
The Angel’s expression scrunched.
As if wondering why the hell I was here.
Implying that me and this fellow were acquainted.
“…O Agent of God?”
Archbishop Luminol tried to prompt the Angel…
But the Angel remained immovable, their complexion turned slightly pale while they were looking at me.
“…”
Let me tell you a secret.
According to various sources…
It seemed the hierarchy of beings that could be summoned by this person was limited to that of a Virtue.
And…
If a ‘Virtue’ was summoned here at Elfante…
There would only be one angel that would appear.
A rare ‘female’ Angel from the Astral Realm, the one who I was all too familiar with.
[ Target ‘Virtue A1101’ recognizes you as irredeemable trash! ]
[ Marked with Negative Tendency! ]
[ Rewards Available! ]
[ Skill: Evil Ruler has been activated! Obtained 1 command right over the target! ]
Oh right, this fellow…
Definitely had something like this implanted by me before.
I vividly remembered blackmailing and extorting Starsteel from her through the White Devil.
And the point that I needed to pay attention to was this ‘command right’ embedded in her.
“Virtue.”
At my call…
The Virtue flinched.
Her eyes trembled. It was a stark contrast to the dignified demeanor she attempted to maintain moments ago.
Seeing this, I smiled and added to my words.
“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?”
“…”
Watching the Angel’s expression crumble…
I activated the skill.
[ ‘Skill: Evil Ruler’ activated. ]
[ Using command rights on target ‘Virtue A1101’! ]
[ The target is absolutely obedient to your commands! ]
Noicee~
Absolute obedience, huh?
Noiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiice~
I’d need this kind of shit anyway because there was no way she’d comply with my demand without that level of coercion.
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