This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 137

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Chapter 137

By the time the meeting was over and the conversation with the emperor was over, the sun had already set in the sky.

The Hero turned back to the hideout.

There was still work to be done in the shadows for Nyhill, so she said she would join them at night.

They had decided to return to Rosenstark tomorrow evening.

It was the first time they had leisure time since arriving at the island.

However, the Hero’s expression was anything but relaxed.

‘…Baptism.’

He mulled over what he had heard from the Emperor.

Baptism.

The awakening of the dragon’s blood.

Changes in appearance and personality that come with it.

Some forgotten memories flashed through his mind.

It was back in school, when he came out of the Library of Memories after seeing Original’s memories.

He distinctly felt the presence of both Ban and Cuculli in front of the library.

Ban was because of his mother.

‘…Then why was Cuculli lingering in the library of memories at such a late hour?’

At the time, he thought it was just curiosity… but now, he seemed to know the real reason.

‘Did she want to leave memories of herself when she was whole?’

Before and after baptism.

Can those two really be considered the same person?

The Hero slowly shook his head.

Even if she receives less influence from the dragon than Dorema, personality changes due to external forces.

After baptism, she might resemble her or… even that might not be the case, a completely different being might appear.

In other words, the “previous Cuculli” was disappearing.

“Whew….”

The Hero let out a long, deep sigh.

‘I should talk to Dorempa about the details at the banquet.’

Tonight.

A small banquet hosted by Barun was scheduled to be held at the Imperial Palace’s guest palace.

It was an opportunity to converse with members of the Dawn Knights and other important colleagues, so he accepted the invitation.

He said he would attend, as Dorempa had decided to stay nearby until the day after tomorrow when he was ready to go out.

He was about to hear from him in detail about Cuculli and her baptism.

Jeopp-

At that time, he was stopped suddenly at the entrance of the hideout.

His habitual senses caught an anomaly.

‘…What’s this?’

There were two familiar presences inside.

One was undoubtedly Larze, and the other one…

‘Why are they here?’

Although it was a familiar presence, it was someone who shouldn’t be in the capital.

The Hero hurriedly headed inside.
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“Hmm.”

The innermost room.

Larze was lying on the bed, fiddling with the nameplate of “Depikio Lugo” given by the Hero.

It contained something related to Zero, so Larze’s eyes sparkled intensely as she examined it.

The Hero stood in front of her, seeming calm.

“Hmm.”

Larze, although she must have clearly felt his presence, didn’t turn her gaze.

The robe was crumpled.

Silver hair spread out like a fan on the sheet.

A pair of white legs half-protruding from the blanket swayed rhythmically.

“…Uh, uh!”

The problem was that faint moans could be heard from under the blanket Larze covered.

They even wriggled slightly.

The Hero sighed.

“What on earth are you thinking?”

“Huh?”

Her red pupils, hidden behind long and thick eyelashes, finally turned to the Hero.

She looked extremely excited.

It was a face that a child might have just before opening a present.

“Well, you see. Waiting was just too boring.”

“So you did this out of boredom…”

The Hero lifted the blanket with a dumbfounded expression.

Inside…

“Uh, uh!”

There was the librarian who should have been busy organizing books in the Library of Memories.

Her mouth was gagged, and she was tied up tightly.

…This was truly an unimaginable scene.

“Rosalyn.”

“Uh, uh, uh!”

Feeling dizzy, he quickly untied Rosalyn’s restraints.

At the same time, he spoke firmly.

“Larze, explain.”

…At that moment, he found himself admiring Ted Redymer, who had been with Larze for a few years, a little more.

* * *

“So, what happened was…”

To summarize Larze’s explanation, it went like this.

She already knew that Rosalyn was a vessel containing Zero’s memories.

“To be honest, it was obvious. So I visited a few times in the past.”

“It wasn’t just a few times, was it? Since you were an undergraduate….”

“Shush.”

Rosalyn looked at Larze with eyes that seemed more weary than a magical being usually would’ve had.

With her perfect face, as surreal as her white hair.

They looked quite alike.

Anyway.

No matter what Larze tried, she couldn’t access Rosalyn’s memories, so she eventually gave up.

It was natural because she didn’t meet the qualifications set by Zero.

The Hero, who had been listening to all this, intervened.

“It’s going around in circles. So why did you kidnap her?”

Larze replied as if asking why he was asking the obvious.

“You’re too busy.”

“What?”

“You’re going to have to wait until you finish your business here and return to Rosenstark, so how could I wait until then?”

“….”

The Hero glanced at Rosalyn.

The expression on her face when she realized that the reason for the kidnapping was Larze’s impatience was quite something.

The archmage spoke, spinning her words as always.

“Well, let’s hurry up and access the second memory.”

Rosalyn seemed to have made up her mind to ignore Larze completely.

Turning her body towards the Hero, she spoke.

“There are no specific restrictions from the owner regarding ‘sharing’ memories rather than ‘accessing’ them.”

“…But?”

“Wouldn’t it be better for you to consider the subject a bit more carefully?”

…The Hero also sensed this fact.

In fact, Larze’s intervention in the current situation was not particularly welcome.

Even if she had been of great help this time, she was still an uncontrollable variable.

However, what’s done is done.

To overturn this deal now would be suicidal.

“Thanks for your concern. Let’s start accessing the memory.”

“Yes, understood.”

Fortunately, Rosalyn didn’t vomit after that.

Flutter-

Even though there was no wind inside, Rosalyn’s hair began to flutter.

“Well then, have a pleasant reminiscence.”

At the same time as Larze’s subdued cheer, everything went dark before me.

▼
Viewing Part II of the First Age.
▲

It was only after a while that I realized that the flashback would proceed in a slightly different way.

* * *

When I came to my senses, it was a pitch-dark space with nothing in it.

In my moment of confusion, a familiar voice was heard.

[I have invited the user to a temporary space created for guidance.]

It was Rosalyn’s voice.

Her figure was not visible, only her voice echoed.

[Starting from Part II of the First Age, some of the user’s emotions and knowledge will be synchronized with the user to facilitate understanding.]

Rustle-

At that, the doll hanging from my waist shook once.

Rosalyn continued speaking.

[As I mentioned earlier, there are no restrictions from the master regarding sharing memories after accessing them.]

[However, unauthorized access to memories by someone without qualifications is strictly prohibited. Therefore, I will take expulsion measures against the uninvited guest.]

As Rosalyn finished speaking, a distant scream was heard, then it faded away.

“Aaah! You’re such a bitch!”

The doll hanging from my waist fell silent at the same time.

It seemed that someone had intruded into the memories without waiting for Rosalyn to share them through Memorize.

Although they were immediately expelled.

Even if it was Larze, within Memorize, she couldn’t trespass on the authority of Rosalyn, the subject.

[Once again, have a pleasant reminiscence.]

Rosalyn concluded her words with a slightly brighter tone.

I blinked slowly.

Gradually, the surroundings began to brighten.
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The room was warm and cozy.

Soft leather sofa.

Shelves filled with books on one side of the wall.

Plush carpet.

‘It looks like a home, is this Zero’s house?’

At first glance, it seemed like an ordinary scene, but I observed my surroundings quickly.

These were memories left by Zero.

Not a single clue could be missed.

‘Who is that?’

Underneath a lamp with appropriate brightness, a woman with a serene face could be seen.

Her voice, so pure and beautiful, resonated in my ears.

“You, do you have to go? I’m so worried.”

“Irène, it’s necessary. The conversation is already over.”

“But still…”

“If I don’t bring back results, the fools of the Tower will soon cause terrible things. I can’t just stand by knowing that.”

The Zero in the previous memory was extremely stern and angry.

However, now his tone and attitude were surprisingly gentle.

His hand tenderly brushed against the woman’s long ear.

‘…She’s a demi-human.’

Moreover, she was a fairy, a sight only seen in the Great Forest now.

Pure admiration followed.

‘I thought I was used to seeing beautiful faces, but…’

She was a beauty captivating enough to make anyone forget themselves.

Her skin glowed like jewels, and her flowing golden hair was as beautiful as spun gold.

…The unfamiliar emotion emerged at that moment.

It was intensely tender, and every moment of seeing her seemed to melt my heart, and no matter what storms this world might bring, I wanted to protect her above all else.

It was a type of emotion I had never felt before, so it was quite bewildering.

‘Is this emotional synchronization?’

First of all, it seemed certain that this fairy was Zero Requeim’s lover.

In the First Age, a human-centered trend took root due to the influence of the Holy Church, and the previously unknown knowledge that the demi-humans were despised and discriminated against also emerged.

‘It’s knowledge synchronization.’

Irène approached Zero with a worried expression.

“Isn’t it dangerous? Everyone fears the monster. Even if I think about it, do you really need to go see him…?”

“It’ll be fine. I promise ‘he’ isn’t the monster everyone knows. It’s just that things went wrong from the beginning.”

Zero, as if intending to leave somewhere, was wearing his outdoor clothes.

There was a firm resolve on his face.

He took a few steps towards the door, then turned back and kissed Irène on the forehead, slightly bulging her stomach.

And as if pledging, he muttered.

“…I’ll protect you. Somehow. I swear.”

As soon as he finished speaking, everything went dark before my eyes.

Since I had experienced this phenomenon before, I immediately felt that the next memory would be played.
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The sun was setting.

Zzzz-

The first thing I felt was an incredible sense of speed.

The surroundings became so distorted and blurry that they were barely recognizable.

Zero was casting flight magic with all his might.

“This damn…!”

The calmness from when he was with Irène seemed to have vanished completely.

Instead, a fiery anger bubbled up inside him.

The noble Hero’s heart also churned with rage.

“Those damn Holy Church bastards!!”

Zero roared with frustration.

His gaze was fixed on the army below, densely packed like ants.

The symbol engraved on the flags they were waving was familiar to the Hero.

The symbol of the gods drawn on the door of the Barun’s clinic.

Although it was now a defunct religion with its lineage cut off, in the First Age when divine power existed, it was the largest religion believed by over half of the population.

‘Ah.’

Tingle-

His head ached.

It was that feeling again.

Unknown knowledge penetrated the Hero’s mind.

The Holy Church, after ‘he’ appeared.

They were the first and most actively hostile group to reject him.

To them, who believed that humans were the most superior beings, ‘he’ was an unacceptable existence.

So they sent punitive forces whenever they had the chance, and today happened to be one of those days.

Zero couldn’t help but be furious.

Just a few days ago, he had warned the Holy Church not to take rash actions until he had a chance to talk to ‘him’.

It was deliberate disregard for each other.

‘In a situation where even gentle soothing is not enough… !’

Moreover, it was a full-scale punitive force.

There were countless holy knights, and the gleaming white radiance that only high-ranking priests could emit seemed to number in the dozens.

‘I have to stop this advance before he arrives somehow.’

It was his area of responsibility.

It was the moment Zero desperately flew over the ranks of the Holy Church.

Whoooo-

He could only abruptly stop flying.

Zero, standing straight in the air, looked with trembling eyes towards the wasteland on the other side.

…More precisely, towards the silhouette wearing a black robe.

‘I-I’m late.’

From below came cries like screams.

“There!”

“That devil!”

“The devil of the oracle has appeared!”

Meanwhile, even to the Hero’s eyes, the military power of the Holy Church was formidable.

It was a force capable of quickly annihilating even formidable high-ranking stakes.

However, the presence radiated by ‘him’ was so sinister that it made even the numerical superiority and the faith of the fanatics pale in comparision.

The fighting spirit of the Army is fading away.

The leadership of the Order, aware of this, shouted with a booming voice.

“All forces, charge!”

Destroy the demon in the name of the gods!

The paladins were the first to go.

They galloped through the wasteland on the finest breed of warhorses.

All sorts of blessings poured down upon them.

They were the type that not only increased strength and stamina but also cultivated various resistances.

Wuuuuuung-

Overlapping blessings.

The silhouettes of the paladins elongated, then shot towards the man at a speed that was hard to perceive.

At that moment, with the sun setting in the west and the wasteland covered in shadows, the light they emitted in the darkness was incredibly radiant.

Wuaaaaaah!

The gods are watching over us!

Even the foot soldiers, emboldened by that divine sight, advanced with blessings.

Ziiiiing-

From the waiting ranks of priests, bursts of white light erupted.

The cluster of light coalesced into the form of a giant lance in the blink of an eye, floating in the air.

The Holy Spear.

In this era where divine power had disappeared, it was difficult to gauge its exact strength.

However, in terms of momentum, it was no less than any top-tier destruction magic the Hero had seen.

It was an attack that was overwhelming to pour onto one person.

However, Zero’s expression as he watched was dark.

‘Wrong.’

Zero’s gaze shifted back to ‘him’.

He was slowly walking forward, undaunted even in the face of the massive army before him.

“…A god?”

A voice tinged with bitter hatred echoed through the wasteland.

It was a voice so powerful that it seemed unbelievable that only one person could produce it.

The ground trembled as it reverberated.

“If there really were gods, you wouldn’t have met me today.”

Wuuuuung-

As soon as the words were spoken, the footsteps of the Holy Church charging with momentum abruptly stopped.

Thousands, tens of thousands of eyes shook as if they were one, focusing on ‘him’ in the distance.

There, an unbelievable scene unfolded.

The priests were casting spells of evil.

“It’s the devil’s trickery!”

“It’s just a deception. Don’t be swayed!”

“Dare you impersonate a god!”

…A magnificent light poured down on ‘him’ as well.

It was the same type of divine radiance that enveloped the Holy Church in blessings.

No, it was even denser.

“That, that’s the devil’s power.”

Ziiiiing-

Then, when the Holy Spear floated above ‘him’, the advance of the Holy Church could not help but come to a halt.

For a moment, a deathly silence fell over the wasteland.

“H-How many are there…”

“I-It can’t be, you devil….”

“Oh, Lord.”

There were as many as thirty of the Holy Spears.

The flowing radiance illuminated the dusk wasteland as bright as midday.

Although it was the light they had followed and believed in all their lives, it seemed more sinister than anything else.

Swoosh-

‘He’ completed the ‘replication’, and his hand slowly rose.

The Sacred Spear rose above his head.

Some of the leading holy knights couldn’t help but turn their heads and scream.

However, even their anguished movements couldn’t stop ‘him’.

“I.”

His hands descended.

“Hate.”

The light enveloped the wasteland, obscuring everything for a moment.

“You humans.”

Zero closed his eyes.

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