This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 112

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Chapter 112

The emperor looked back on that day.

A friend came and soon announced his impending death.

The day she had to go to the victory celebration before recovering from the shock.

Even she, who boasted of a strong mind due to experiencing various court struggles, could not help but crumble in that moment.

‘… Victory celebration? Is this a victory celebration?’

We won in battle, but what’s the point if we lost in war?

Looking at people who chatted and laughed without worries, she was engulfed in a strong urge to spit out words lingering on the tip of her tongue.

The hero, Ted Redymer, is dead.

Therefore, in this long war, humanity has finally been defeated.

For mankind, there is now only the slow path of dying… so they say.

If the hero had not stopped her from making the announcement of his death, she would have immediately stopped the unfolding skit and organized a mourning ceremony.

‘Why not announce death? What’s the point of dragging it out?’

As she endlessly drank alcohol, she discovered a familiar face entering the banquet hall and spat it out on the floor.

“Wow! It’s the hero!”

“Huh, the hero at the banquet? What’s going on?”

“Look over here just once!”

“Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer!”

A fake with the same dignity and confidence walks over.

Under the sparkling lights.

A guy smiling leisurely.

Even as the emperor who knew his existence in advance was momentarily fooled, it was a ‘heroic’ appearance.

… And so it began.

“Because humans still need heroes. That’s the reason.”

Despite listening to all the explanations and greetings, she was skeptical.

Because she had seen how ‘Ted Redymer’ became a hero.

The thought that someone could replace the great man didn’t come easily.

She thought it couldn’t last long.

The system burns, subjects are torn to death by monsters, and a fake who is discovered is hung on the gallows.

Waking up from such nightmares with a body soaked in sweat multiple times.

It was like walking on a tightrope, or rather, on a precarious blade.

Half a year passed like that.

But….

The fake brought news of the punitive expedition of the corps commander.

‘How on earth did this happen?’

The emperor looked at the hero sitting in front of him.

It was an illusion implemented through ‘multiple communication,’ but it felt vivid as reality.

“You….”

“Sorry.”

“…What?”

With a slightly awkward expression, he suddenly apologized.

Perhaps he thought she would blame him for the magnitude and danger of this “traitor incident.”

However, Euphemia had no intention of reprimanding him.

‘No, rather….’

After the emperor let out a short sigh, she looked directly at the hero.

And for the first time in six months, she spoke words of praise.

She was a bit awkward, so she skipped over the first syllable with a muffled sound…

Anyway, it was a clear compliment.

“Did well.”

“What?”

“…You did well.”

Ah.

The hero’s eyes widened a bit, and soon, a wriggly movement of hesitation appeared on his lips.

“I thought I was in trouble.”

It was absurd to see ‘Ted Redymer’ laughing like that, so Euphemia laughed along without realizing it.

…Realizing the embarrassment, she quickly regained composure.

“Well, what’s the matter?”

It was none other than the hero who called for today’s meeting (though only two had attended so far).

Looking at him with eyes urging for an answer, he shrugged.

“Let’s start when the rest of the attendees arrive.”

Pa-aaa-

Tiger, even a tiger comes when I speak, and soon Noubelmag and Yussi appeared on one side of the meeting room.

[TL/N: This was used before but i forgot to add a note lol, it’s similar to ‘speak of the devil’, its literal meaning is ‘The tiger comes when you mention it’ ​​It is used when someone appears who has just been the subject of conversation.]

Noubelmag, upon entering, scanned the surroundings with one eye and raised an eyebrow.

“Well, it’s been a long time since I attended a meeting here.”

Then he raised his wrinkled hand towards the emperor.

“You too, it’s been a while, and you’ve aged a lot in the past three years. It’s not easy to deal with the Leader and the troops, is it?”

“….”

The emperor responded with a sigh.

On the other hand, Yussi, after giving a respectful nod to the emperor, continued to rub the dark circles under her eyes.

“…But is Felson not here yet? It’s unlike him to be late.”

“Felson is in the infirmary right now.”

At the hero’s answer, a moment of silence fell in the meeting room.

“….”

The Extreme’s children were currently hospitalized in the infirmary.

Most had almost no trauma, but as they had been directly exposed to high-concentration demonic energy, the responsible therapist had said they needed to observe their progress for a while.

Especially Ban and Lucas.

Since they were individuals who had directly contacted Enoch’s ‘Derilum,’ they were moved to isolation wards.

Noubelmag asked cautiously.

“Felson’s son…?”

“There was just news that Felson’s son regained consciousness without any problems.”

“Huh….”

The expressions of everyone, who had been dark, brightened simultaneously.

They all knew how much pain Felson had endured after losing his wife.

The same pain should not be repeated.

Especially Noubelmag showed a very relieved expression.

“…But what about the other one who was taken along?”

“Not yet. It will probably take some more time for Lucas to regain consciousness. He played a direct role as a host, after all.”

The emperor, who was listening to the conversation, interjected with a solemn face. ”

Ah, I forgot.”

“…Forgot what?”

“Duke Wellington has left for Rosenstark. It seems he wants to see his son’s condition with his own eyes. He seemed unable to accept the situation, so be prepared.”

…It probably wasn’t a desirable condition to see.

Lucas’s fate was still undecided.

Although his actions were influenced by Monma, he was also at fault.

Like the saying, “Even the sound of clapping requires both hands.”

The weakening of the mental barrier to the point of being ‘possessed’ was due to his prolonged contact with Monma.

Whether he maintained that relationship for the sake of blissful dreams or for other reasons, Euphemia wasn’t sure.

One thing was certain: there was undoubtedly an opportunity for help until this calamity occurred.

‘I hope Duke Wellington is a more rational person than his son.’

The hero advanced to the center of the meeting room with such thoughts.

It was time to get into the main topic.

“The reason I called for this meeting today is simple. Once the situation here is settled… I plan to return to the Front line for a while.”

The emperor, being the first to react to this unexpected statement, followed by Yussi.

“Return to the Front line? Why?”

“So, what about the academy? What about classes…?”

As questions poured in, the hero answered them one by one.

“While fighting Enoch, I realized that their conspiracy is not limited to Rosenstark. So, I thought it necessary to personally examine the whole situation.”

Although he considered sending a spy, since the mimicry of Enoch’s ability was traceable, there was no other choice.

“And the academy will probably be on a break for a while. Midterms must be over by now. It’s a relatively relaxed time during the semester. Of course, there may be one or two makeup classes…”

The hero’s gaze turned to Noubelmag.

The old man, who had been enjoying the reduction of tasks due to the new of absence of the Leader, suddenly stiffened.

“I’m not worried at all because there’s someone who can handle it.”

“… Me? No, what class does a blacksmith teach? huh?”

“The prototypes of auxiliary weapons are nearing completion. Isn’t that right?”

“Well… yes, it’s in the final stages.”

“If it’s you, I’m sure you’ve added extraordinary features to the weapons.”

Noubelmag mumbled, then closed his mouth again.

The hero smiled slightly.

“It would be nice to introduce those features when we reinforce them. The kids will be very pleased.”

“…Hmph.”

As the hero seemed to have already decided on going to the Front line, no objections were raised.

They knew from long experience that once he made up his mind, it was impossible for anyone to stop him.

“Hmm…”

It was then that Yussi let out a deep sigh.

A somewhat affected and exaggerated sigh, not seemingly a result of disappointment.

It felt more like a device to emphasize what was to come.

“Hehe, I tried to keep it a secret until the end. Well, I guess I should tell you now.”

Seeming tired at first, Yussi’s face began to exude confidence to the point where it felt like a lie.

Even those who were watching became expectant.

…Was there some good news?

Even the hero’s eyes were tinged with curiosity.

“As the situation is what it is, hiding such good news wouldn’t make sense. It will be a ray of light. Hehehe…”

Perhaps annoyed by Yussi’s dragging, Noubelmag suddenly raised his voice.

“Enough of the boring talk, why is this taking so long? Let me speak for her.”

“No, wait!”

“Yussi found the blessing of Zero Requiem Borningenheim. It’s the rumoured eighth blessing.”

…The hero briefly doubted his own ears.

“…What did you just say?”

* * *

The medical team at Rosenstark was generally busy.

Due to the academy’s policy of pursuing practical training, there was a steady stream of patients every day.

Intense workload.

On days with events like the party arena and academic exchange conference at the end of the year, the vast ward would be filled to the brim with the lively scene.

That’s why Minerva Barson, a therapist who had been working for about 10 years as a student counselor, had confidence that she wouldn’t bat an eye at ordinary commotions.

…Until a few days ago, before being assigned to the special ward.

Now, in front of Minerva’s eyes, scenes she had never seen in her therapist career were unfolding.

‘How does the hero handle these kids?’

Recovery room.

This was where patients stayed until they were well enough to be discharged from individual rooms.

In other words, this was where the majority of extreme kids ended up…

“Thirty-five… thirty-six.”

A rough sound of breath echoed through the expansive ward.

The therapist knew the girl well.

Leciel Hiyashin, who collapsed from exhaustion until she fainted while wielding a sword just before being transferred to the special ward.

Her dedication to training seemed to have intensified in the meantime.

“Fifty.”

Surprisingly, she was doing push-ups while holding the bed frame.

Tight-lipped, her fine face was as red as her hair.

Influenced by Leciel’s passion, other kids began standing upside down one by one.

Minerva, seeing the spectacle, shuddered at the strangeness.

‘I’ve seen them exaggerate when they say they’re in pain…’

Of course, there were some calm ones too.

“Where is the kitchen here?”

“…It’s currently 1 o’clock in the morning.”

“Oh, then what time does it open?”

…The kitchen is not a restaurant!

Shivering at Cuculli’s audacity, Minerva finally realized.

That’s the hero for you.

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