This World Needs a Hero - Chapter 53

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Chapter 53

I checked the comments again in my lodging.

“Upscale, huh?”

There were many complex terms like grade or rise, but to put it simply, this is it.

▼
Reaching the level where the ‘Original’ had reached through Polymorph.
▲

I can pioneer beyond that.

Recently, I’ve only been duplicating the Hero, but in reality, there are over dozens of subjects I can Polymorph.

For example, there’s Buck, the thief I duplicated to infiltrate the Opening Ceremony.

Of course, there are many others.

Artists.

Mercenaries.

Gamblers.

Merchants.

Gladiators.

Martial artists.

Bards.

Retired knights, and so on.

In the past, I travelled around the entire continent, meeting various individuals and building friendships.

Unfortunately, since coming to Rosenstark, I rarely used their abilities.

‘They were all too mediocre.’

What use would there be in having the pickpocketing and lockpicking skills of a third-rate thief or the stealth techniques?

But the recent change has transformed abilities I hadn’t found useful before into something valuable.

‘It seems I can surpass even the originals.’

From Buck’s thievery to the gambler’s sleight of hand.

From the combat tactics of mercenaries and gladiators to the painting techniques of artists.

All of them effortlessly surpassed the level of their original counterparts.

‘Now, I might as well be a renowned thief.’

The abilities that were previously deemed useless have now become valuable.

The abilities I can duplicate from the kids have also become stronger.

A variety of decent talents have emerged.

Moreover, they can be further developed through training, so it’s worth looking forward to.

I cleared the comments while thinking about how to utilize the new abilities.

There was a bit of regret.

‘It would have been great if the Salvation Formula had been unlocked further.’

During the Expo Assault, if I could use Nova, the situation would have been significantly different.

We could have subdued Desmond and his subordinates without creating casualties.

‘Most weaknesses in great swordsmanship can be resolved through speed.’

Wrapped in a radiant light, I recalled the ‘Original’s’ appearance that moved like a flash of light when Nova was activated.

Even in normal times, he was incredibly powerful, but when Nova was activated, he truly seemed like a ‘war god.’

Of course, Halo, which allows free adjustment of the shape and attributes of the sword and can amplify its power, is also an excellent technique.

But that was only the 1st form.

As you reach the end with the 6th form, the Salvation Formula exponentially amplifies the caster’s combat power.

Just opening the 2nd form would easily allow me to handle intermediate-level demons.

‘Certainly, teaching the kids well is the shortcut.’

At the moment, raising the progress of ‘firewood’ was the most realistic method.

I remembered the practical training scheduled for around the end of the semester.

There was a high-level experiential learning combining interpersonal battles and demon subjugation.

It seemed like a good idea to move it up to next week.

It wasn’t just because of Nova.

There was no guarantee that a similar assault would not happen again, and the kids needed more practice in interpersonal battles.

I tore up the existing lesson plan that was on one side of the desk.

It seemed like I heard Pia’s scream from afar, but there was no other choice.

* * *

The on-call doctor, Minerva, grinned at her children who were looking at her.

“It’s done! It will heal completely tomorrow. Still, apply the prescribed ointment carefully. Because it could be disastrous.”

“I don’t really care if I have a scar. There are still a lot of them anyway.”

“That’s right. Luke is amazing.”

“It’s nothing special.”

Luke retorted toughly to the healer’s words, turned around, and left the infirmary.

Evergreen and Ban followed him, looking worriedly at the boy with bandages wrapped around here and there.

The time when the extremely thorough treatment was completed was midnight.

The corridor was silent. Luke, heading towards the dormitory, suddenly muttered,

“Ah, if I go back, I’ll definitely be tormented.”

The Expo Assault incident heated up Rosenstark after just half a day.

It had been several years since an attack occurred nearby.

Some students who were at the scene were excitedly chatting and spreading distorted stories, and soon, everyone heard about it.

– What’s this expo incident all about?
└ It’s an auction, but who would have expected an assault… Seeing Halo wielded by the hero directly is the pride of my life.
└ Did you really see it?
└ Yeah.
└ How was it?
└ It was weird, not like a sword technique. It felt like watching a rare natural phenomenon like a solar or lunar eclipse.

– But why is everyone so calm? Isn’t the academy in danger at this rate?
└ Forget about that. They say the hero cut down 100 people with a single swing of his sword. Is that true?
└ Just counting what I saw directly, there were 3,000. Seriously.
└ Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer! Ted Redymer!
└ Ugh… I’ll ask those who went to the expo properly and come back.

Especially when the story reached Connectors, the rumors began to inflate frighteningly.

Extreme motivated students were even wandering in front of the hospital.

If the healer hadn’t chased them away, they might have been tormented even now.

Probably, if he went back to the dormitory, he would attract a lot of attention.

Thinking that not-so-close friends would stick to him, Luke involuntarily frowned.

“Should’ve just been hospitalized.”

However, Evergreen’s reaction was quite different.

“Hmm, that’s probably true. The kids must have been very worried.”

“Worried about what? It’s just cheap curiosity.”

“Ahaha… Don’t get too worked up.”

Evergreen made an awkward expression in response to the aggressive tone.

Luke, who seemed like he wanted to say more, closed his mouth and stepped forward again.

“Let’s go quickly. I’m tired.”

After a while, they realized that one set of footsteps that had been walking together had stopped.

Evergreen turned around, and Ban, who had been following behind, had veered off to one side.

“Ban? What are you doing there?”

“Oh, can you two go in first? I want to walk a bit.”

“Huh? Right now? It’s curfew time.”

“I’ll just be inside the dormitory. Don’t worry, go ahead.”

Luke, with a puzzled face, grabbed Evergreen’s wrist and pulled her along.

“Let’s go inside.”

“Ah, yeah! Ban, come in safely too!”

Before turning around, Luke’s dark eyes lingered on Ban’s face for a moment.

When Ban avoided eye contact, Luke also soon averted his gaze.

“….”

That’s how the classmates drifted apart.

Ban, finally lifting his forcibly drooping tail, sighed.

Fortunately, there was no one around.

He pressed his hot forehead against the wall, as if in self-pity.

Luke was injured.

It wasn’t a serious injury, but his skin was torn, and bruises covered his whole body.

The image of him fighting with blood streaming down his forehead was still vivid.

Evergreen was the same.

Although she didn’t show it, she clearly had injuries all over her body.

When she thought no one was watching, she didn’t straighten her expression and didn’t hold her shoulders up.

Perhaps she had pulled the strong bowstring of her resilient bow too many times.

She had seen her taking several pain relief and anti-inflammatory potions in the infirmary earlier.

Ban felt a heavy and stuffy pain in his chest.

‘Assailants.’

Yes.

That’s right.

They were surprisingly brutal, showing no hesitation in killing people.

Naturally, it was frightening and unsettling.

A noble-born person like him had never encountered such kind of individuals.

‘…But they weren’t that strong.’

Even the first assailant wielding an axe was like that.

Although the attacks mixed various oddities, to him, following Dietrich’s progress, it was just predictable movements.

With Luke by his side, they could have easily subdued them.

If he had wielded the sword properly, that’s how it would have turned out.

Of course, he wasn’t standing there stupidly without any awareness.

He kept running until his mana was depleted.

He kept running until the taste of blood filled his mouth, and there was not even a whiff of mana left.

Each time, he sent Evergreen flying and took the lead in helping civilians evacuate.

However, these facts didn’t alleviate the boy’s self-reproach even a little.

Thud!

Ban left the corridor and started to walk.

Then, he began to run.

His eyes were fixed on the floor.

No sense of direction.

“Huuk, huuk.”

The panting, which started because he wanted to clear his cluttered mind even a little, didn’t stop for a long time.

At some point, Ban felt the grains of sand rustling beneath his feet.

He had always been training by running.

It was like a habit that had come out without him realizing it while running aimlessly.

‘…?’

But something was odd.

It was now close to early morning.

Everyone should be focusing on rest rather than training.

‘Besides, it’s curfew time….’

However, he felt a sign.

So Ban lifted his head that had been constantly looking down.

Under the pale moonlight,

A bright flame was blossoming.

“…Leciel?”

Ban, forgetting the torment that had filled his mind just moments ago, followed Leciel’s sword with his eyes.

Her deep red hair formed gentle waves in the chilly air, and the vast space seemed to be filled with just her presence.

Swoosh-!

A sharp and elongated sound cut through the air near his ears.

Her chillingly elegant sword cleaved through the air, leaving no sound as it swiftly cut through space.

The boy, watching the trajectory, gradually opened his mouth.

What kind of swordsmanship was that?

Short sword?

Long sword?

Greatsword?

Leciel’s sword, no matter what adjective was used, felt ambiguous, making it hard to classify.

It was a Sword of Hiyashin.

‘They may unfold dozens of swordsmanship techniques, but their opponents can only see one.’

It was a famous favorite of the former Sword Saint, the Shape Shifter.

A sword that could transform its shape according to the owner’s will, smoothly displaying dozens of sword techniques by changing its appearance in the blink of an eye.

As a result, the air around Ban, the corporal training non-commissioned officer, shattered, tore, split, and crumpled repeatedly.

…Talent.

It was also a measure of how deeply one could immerse themselves.

In that sense, Ban could immerse himself in Leciel more than anyone else.

He didn’t even notice his mouth drying up.

The sword swinging before him seemed to pull him in with a strong magnetic force.

Without hesitation, inevitably, his gaze was fixed.

The intricate and restrained sword.

The flowing mana is like a fluid.

Graceful and light movements.

And, before he knew it, the crimson eyes looked in his direction.

“Ah.”

Ban unintentionally made a sound… and then, the sword stopped.

He felt a mixture of a desire to see more and an inexplicable embarrassment as he froze.

“……”

Of course, Leciel, being unexpectedly watched by someone, felt the same way.

Her eyes narrowed.

A large build and an innocent face.

Light chestnut-colored hair.

‘Ban Dietrich.’

He was one of the few she exchanged greetings with.

Not overly curious about her background.

Not imposing.

A guy who didn’t make her uncomfortable.

‘Is he here for training?’

Leciel, about to swing her sword again, recalled the attack at the fair that morning.

The Connecter anonymous bulletin board had been ablaze with discussions all afternoon.

‘Is he okay?’

There were rumors about a student being seriously injured.

Of course, they were likely exaggerated, but Leciel, unaware of the facts, turned back to face Ban.

Her eyes scanned him from top to bottom.

For a moment, she considered not asking anything, but the memory of the attack resurfaced in her mind.

The Connecter bulletin board had been burning with discussions all afternoon.

Leciel’s eyes scanned Ban, searching for any signs of injury.

No external trauma, but you never knew.

“Are you…?”

But her lips, as if hesitating to say something, barely moved.

Leciel turned away again.

“Hup.”

Ban couldn’t help but laugh at the situation.

He wasn’t adept at initiating conversations with others.

The girl, who was idolized by everyone, however seemed more destructive than him in that regard.

In response to Ban’s laughter, Leciel glanced back at him.

Ban said, “I’m okay.”

“Who said anything?”

Leciel, observing the slightly awkward boy, narrowed her eyebrows.

“You weren’t hurt badly, thankfully. They said three thousand attacked you.”

“Huh? Who’s spreading such nonsense?”

“…”

Leciel remained silent.

Since he seemed unharmed, that was enough.

With no further interest, she resumed her training.

*Snap!*

As her slender fingers coiled around the sword’s hilt again, Ban felt a bit disappointed.

‘But I shouldn’t disturb her.’

He quietly turned away.

It took a few more seconds for him to realize that he couldn’t hear the sound of the sword swinging behind him.

‘Huh?’

Turning back, he made eye contact with Leciel.

“Feeling frustrated?”

Ban stopped in his tracks at her words that he couldn’t quite understand.

“Huh?”

“That expression of yours.”

Ban didn’t know what expression he was making, but it didn’t matter.

Leciel was there to explain.

“Do you feel like your chest is tight, you can’t stand yourself, and your head is about to explode?”

Ban was surprised.

She talked a lot more than he expected.

But what surprised him more was the content of what she said.

“How do you… know that?”

The emotions that had been troubling him since the fair—defeat, self-loathing, helplessness—how could someone as radiant as her understand such feelings?

Leciel didn’t immediately respond.

She lowered her eyes for a moment and then mumbled softly.

“I probably know better than anyone else.”

*Boom!*

The sword swung again without warning.

Leciel, who had been venting her frustrations by slashing through the air, continued speaking.

“If you want to stay here, then stay. But going inside won’t change anything. You won’t see anything good.”

Ban nodded.

The rhythmic movements of her chaotic black hair as she resumed her swordplay were enough to clear his mind.

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