This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 180

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Chapter 180

A hopping tour, simply put, was a rich experience of riding a boat between islands, fishing, eating freshly caught fish, and chatting away.

“Hehe, the scenery is amazing.”

An artificial island, Dream Haven, was surrounded by several small islands.

Children enjoyed the luxurious cruise ship and the scenery to their heart’s content.

“Wow, the distance from the mainland is farther than I thought. It felt like we got here quickly.”

“We can’t go out if we don’t take the boat.”

“But is it deep here?”

Cuculli leaned halfway over the railing, peering down.

How deep could it be?

The river was clear, but the bottom was not visible at all.

Beside him, someone shook their head half-heartedly.

“Forget about swimming.”

“Why?”

“There used to be a lot of mana stone factories around here.”

“But?”

“When Dream Haven didn’t exist, they dumped all the waste into the Payrun River.”

Shoosh-

A huge shadow passed under the boat then.

Cuculli swallowed hard.

“Well, things have returned to normal over time, but… the fish in the Payrun River are much bigger and fiercer than ordinary fish.”

But it also became a holy place for fishermen.

“Is Leciel still fishing?”

Ban glanced at Leciel holding a fishing rod.

A seemingly expressionless face.

But he could tell she was irritated.

Probably because of the many men gathered around her.

Unfortunately, the cruise ship for hopping tours carried not only them but also other guests.

And the various affluent guests enjoying their vacations at the resort seemed very pleased to discover unexpected beauties.

Not only Leciel but also other extreme female students were experiencing similar troubles.

“I’m the prettiest? Ahaha, lies, lies!”

…Karen was happily roaming around.

Splash-

Leciel’s fishing rod was suddenly taut.

As Leciel looked surprised and just stared, men rushed towards her like a swarm.

“Hey, fishing isn’t done like that. If you just let it go like that, the fish will all escape, you know?”

“I’ll teach you a trick. How about having a meal later? We have fine wine too.”

“First, give me the fishing rod.”

Leciel did as the last man instructed.

“Here you go.”

Thinking he was chosen among numerous competitors, he reached out eagerly to receive the fishing rod, beaming.

Ban clicked his tongue.

It seemed excessive excitement had blinded his two eyes.

He couldn’t see the sweat dripping from Leciel’s cheek or the slightly strained lips.

‘What kind of monster bit the bobber that Leciel, who can easily lift a large rock with one hand, is struggling like this?’

Uwaaaaaah-

A man flew over the railing along with the fishing rod.

While Ban felt sorry for the crew members who had to rush to rescue, he was honestly a little amused.

“Hahaha, look at that guy, Cuculli.”

“Wow, Ban! The fish are so big! I’ll catch one later!”

Until Cuculli’s voice came from below.

“Uwaaaa, sorry! You don’t have to save her!”

Ban bowed deeply to the distressed crew members.

* * *

The wide sky and gentle breeze spread out over the river like the sea.

As the sun slowly descended along the coastline, black and sky-colored hair swayed together in the twilight.

“Nyhill, are you ready?”

“Yeah.”

Swoosh-

Two girls, Cuculli and Nyhill, looked at the back of the boat sliding away as if sliding, tied with a rope.

Large parachutes hung on their backs.

Cuculli’s eyes sparkled as she looked at Nyhill.

“Hehehe, I wonder if you’ll keep that expressionless face even after this!”

Nyhill murmured quietly.

“Why? Are you really scared?”

“…Huh? No? I didn’t mean that as in being scared.”

…Cuculli didn’t believe her.

The black pupils checked the various equipment that bound her.

It was a structure that would soar high like a bird with a parachute catching the wind.

For someone afraid of heights, it would be terrifying enough.

But for her, who had completed various rigorous and parachute training, it was far from enough to instill fear.

Nyhill decided to match Cuculli’s expectation and pretend to be appropriately nervous and scared.

Watching her mechanical reaction, Cuculli sighed.

“Phew.”

Then…

“Look forward to it, Nyhill.”

She grinned broadly.

Wooosh-

The machine device burning mana stones made noise.

The boat accelerated.

Simultaneously, Cuculli and Nyhill’s bodies rose into the air.

“!”

It was then that a refreshing color filled Nyhill’s entire field of vision.

As the sun set over the watershed, thin clouds scattered in the wind, sprinkling golden sunlight over the clear river.

Nyhill’s pupils widened unusually.

Boom-!

Magic fireworks launched from the resort also lit up the sky.

Just as the boat crossed between them, Nyhill felt as if beautiful lights were pouring down on her.

“Ah….”

Buildings on the mainland that looked like toys in the distance.

The resort boasting vibrant colors underfoot.

And the colleagues cheering loudly enough to be heard in the sky.

…Me in the sky.

For the first time, Nyhill felt like she could vaguely understand what freedom was.

“Nyhill, look here!”

“Cuculli.”

The two girls alternated between each other’s eyes and the surrounding scenery.

They realized this was a rare moment in their lives.

A moment that couldn’t be fully expressed with any words they had heard or used before.

Nyhill stared blankly at everything around her, trying to absorb it all into her heart.

…She felt fortunate to have come here.

Thunk-

When they landed back on the boat, the sunset had disappeared.

The river enveloped in darkness.

Nyhill reached out and poked Cuculli’s shoulder.

…She might not have realized it herself, but this was the moment she initiated conversation with her colleagues for the first time.

“Thank you… I had fun.”

Cuculli gave her characteristic innocent smile.

“Me too!”

* * *

12 hours before ???’s death.

14 hours before ???’s disappearance.

Among the children, mysterious voices exchanged.

“You up for a brawl with mercenaries over booze?”

“Why, what’s up? I’m from the Frost Dragon Tribe tribe!”

“Hey, guys, drink moderately. You might get hurt.”

“Evergreen is out.”

Today’s highlight, the highly anticipated drinking session, had begun.

The venue was the underground public lounge.

To the various high-quality alcoholic beverages and snacks from the haunted house, Yussi also added several large bottles of whiskey and wine, completing the luxurious drinking table.

‘…Beautiful.’

Leciel blankly stared at the lounge’s interior.

As one of the most meticulously designed places in the resort, the lounge was splendid and luxurious.

Subtly shining large crystal chandelier.

Under the sparkling lights, all sorts of refined furniture were perfectly arranged.

…It was a pity that uncultured humans had occupied it.

“Wahaha, Luke, you’ve dropped your fork four times already? You’re drunk, man.”

“Iiiii don’t hiiit!”

“Just use magic to sober him up!”

“If you’re not going to hit him, why did you- Eeeeuuuugh!”

“Stop feeding Luke so much, Cuculli!”

“Heng! My heart aches for you, Evergreen!”

Yussi was drinking quietly in a corner of the lounge.

Seemingly having no intention of stopping the students’ drinking spree, she only muttered this when the noise got too loud.

“Drink moderately~.”

Oooooh-

Of course, there was only one wolf responding to that remark.

Shadow, the wolf, happily chewed on snacks from Yussi’s hand, curling up on Evergreen’s lap.

Leciel chuckled and picked up a glass of alcohol.

‘This is chaos.’

Of course, Leciel’s cheeks were as red as her hair.

When Cuculli grabbed her excitedly, it was the next moment.

“Why are you just standing there? Come on, quickly. Hey, survivors, gather around!”

She didn’t resist and followed her obediently.

.

.

.

The drinking session was, as expected, mundane.

Stories from the beginning of the semester that now felt like a long time ago.

Repeated worn-out jokes.

And silly games like truth or dare played several times.

…But it was enjoyable.

The alcohol in the lounge was almost gone.

‘Are they all asleep now?’

Leciel, who was slightly sober, glanced around.

Most had already left, and only seven people remained.

Leciel, Cuculli, Nyhill, Ban, Gerald, Evergreen.

Luke, who had followed Evergreen, was also there… but…

Koooh-

He was quietly snoring, sleeping soundly on Evergreen’s lap.

“Ugh, this idiot….”

Thunk-!

Cuculli, deciding it was about time, gave him a sharp smack, but there was no sign of him waking up.

“Let’s just leave him and continue drinking.”

While Cuculli had led the drinking session from the beginning, she showed no signs of tiredness.

Nyhill’s cheeks were slightly flushed, but she skillfully drank the remaining alcohol in her glass.

They were the two leaders of the drinking session.

“Hey, Nyhill, you’re good at drinking. Have you tried it a lot before?”

“…Yeah, a lot.”

“Ooooh!”

The kids let out gasps of admiration.

In the Shadow, agents underwent regular training in various drugs and toxins, including alcohol, to prepare for being captured as prisoners.

…After a moment of hesitation, Nyhill added a few words.

“Enjoyed it once.”

Leciel was about to ask when and with whom Leciel had been drinking, but she was distracted by an old man’s voice nearby.

Leciel turned her head to see Gerald with a puzzled expression.

“Why are you drinking my drink?”

It was a penalty for not being able to answer during the truth game just now.

Gerald chuckled and looked into the distance with a confident gaze.

“Just because.”

“Wahaha!”

Cuculli nudged the stiff Ban and laughed triumphantly.

“You have to grant a wish, Leciel! Make a wish!”

“What kind of wish?”

“According to the rules, if you drink instead of someone else at a drinking party, you have to grant a wish. It’s the law.”

“The law…?”

Leciel blinked.

Normally, she would have dismissed such nonsense and ignored it, but she was feeling quite tipsy now.

She turned her head to look at Gerald sideways.

Slurp-

Her red hair fell diagonally.

“What do you want to wish for?”

It was the moment when Gerald hiccuped with a face that looked like it was about to explode.

Ugh-

The old man’s voice spoke up again from the side.

Ban was emptying Gerald’s glass.

Gerald widened his eyes and looked at him.

“No, mine isn’t even a punishment….”

“I’m making a wish, Gerald.”

“Huh?”

“Wishing is prohibited.”

“Where’s that written?!”

Soon, Gerald and Ban grabbed each other’s collars and rolled around on the floor.

The children laughed heartily as they heard silly remarks like “I saved you from Enoch” or “Are all the women in Rosenstark yours?” being exchanged.

…As two more whiskey bottles were emptied, everyone lay back and relaxed.

It was then that Nyhill spoke to Cuculli.

“Cuculli, what are you thinking about right now?”

The children listened to their conversation, half-dazed.

They weren’t particularly focused on the conversation.

The question wasn’t particularly interesting, and the answerer was Cuculli.

She’d probably say something silly again.

The children’s eyelids slowly drooped.

…Until Cuculli responded with a feeling different from usual.

“Father.”

“Father?”

“I’m thinking about Father.”

…Father.

The mischievous atmosphere that Cuculli usually carried seemed to fade as respect and affection emerged from her eyes.

The children looked at Cuculli as if they had made a promise.

‘Father….’

It was a natural progression.

Leciel remembered her grandmother’s hunched back as she left the house.

Nyhill remembered a vague figure whose name and status were unknown.

Gerald and Ban remembered the swords and spears their father’s wielded in Demonic Realm Sector 1.

Evergreen remembered the rough hands that stroked her forehead the night before she left on her journey.

“Hehehe.”

Cuculli laughed as if to dispel the seriousness of the moment.

“Huh?”

Her upper body, about to reach for the bottle, swayed.

Cling-

The children finally noticed that her cheeks were as red as theirs, if not redder.

“Ah, she’s definitely not sober.”

“Hehehe, sorry. Sorry.”

Despite inheriting the blood of dragons, Cuculli couldn’t drink more than a few bottles of distilled liquor without consequences.

Everyone got up to clear the broken glass pieces.

“Hey, be careful.”

“She’s bleeding. Do we have a towel?”

Fortunately, there was no need to find a towel.

Rune Wolf, Shadow, who had been wandering around, approached and licked her fingers.

Cuculli giggled, saying, “Ticklish!” and then noticed her friends surrounding her.

‘It’s just a minor cut.’

It’s just a cut, but their eyes are full of worry.

“Heh, you guys.”

A genuine smile.

Her fangs, different from humans’, sparkled under the light of the chandelier.

“Thank you for helping me create good memories.”

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.

.

Cuculli disappeared from the resort without a trace a few hours later.

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