This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 125

HEL SCANS

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A question I heard from Cuculli once came to mind.

“Professor, are you acquainted with my father?”

…In fact, we were acquainted, though I had never met him as the Hero.

This was a story from before I started working as a substitute.

‘…It was a strange coincidence.’

It was a time in the distant past, when I couldn’t settle down and roamed the outskirts.

The desolate snowy landscape, untouched by human footsteps, was a perfect place to soothe a weary soul.

I had taken refuge there for a few months.

It was a day when the snowstorm was particularly fierce.

I had just finished hunting and returned to the cave, my hiding place.

Unexpectedly, an unwelcome guest was already there.

“Oh… humans have stockpiled so much food in the snowy wasteland.”

…Mumbling while chewing on jerky (which was mine), his pronunciation was muddled, but that was roughly what he said.

He claimed to be a member of the Ice Dragon Tribe, and he had come to the snowy wilderness for a mission.

Thinking back to the time when Dorempa had become the warchief covering the north and I was now teaching his daughter, it was a truly strange encounter.

He looked at me, bewildered, and casually spoke.

“Is that a snow rabbit in your hand? I’ll roast it for you! Just give me the ears to the torso!”

At that time, he was, how should I put it…

He was like the male version of Cuculli, in a way.

I remember feeling completely exhausted in just half a day until the storm passed and Dorempa left.

…During that long time.

There seemed to be a lot of change in Dorempa as well.

Not just in personality but also in appearance.

‘What are those huge wings and horns?’

They weren’t there before.

‘There were only cute horns like Cuculli’s.’

It was not a good time to reveal old memories and new curiosity.

I looked at the indifferent eyes that were staring at me and Euphemia.

“I have an important story to tell.”

We stood side by side on the lakeside and talked about the information we needed to share once again.

“….”

While listening to the story of the conspiracy planned by the Demon Lord Church and Harlem, Dorempa’s expression remained unchanged.

It was unexpected.

I thought he would be furious.

However, his eyes remained calmly focused, and his breathing was slow and steady.

Dorempa finally spoke.

“It’s a checkmate.”

“What do you mean?”

“It has been a common occurrence for the exiled tribe members to leave the snowy wasteland. No one paid attention to the whereabouts of those who became outsiders. But I never thought such a thing would happen.”

His tone was monotonous, as if reading a book.

But that didn’t mean he wasn’t angry.

The warmth of early summer faded, and the air around us rapidly cooled.

It was not an illusion.

Chill—

Even the lakeshore froze with the frigid wind.

“There are more factories besides the two we discovered.”

“We haven’t pinpointed their exact locations yet, but it’s certain. Similar abduction activities are happening in the lawless city of Canis, according to the information.”

“Most likely, they are mostly in the north. Those factories, I mean.”

I nodded.

The residences of the two tribes were broadly divided into two locations.

The northernmost North Hale (Snow Wasteland) and the southernmost Great Forest.

The Great Forest tribes, under the rule of the Fairy Queen, maintained an extremely closed culture.

“They rarely come out of the forest. Even when they do, they act in groups.”

The northern tribes of the Snow Wasteland were a bit more free-spirited.

More animalistic, one could say.

Although they were grouped by tribes, individual personalities were stronger, and their affection and sense of kinship for family and relatives were much shallower than that of humans.

The Demonic Church exploited that weakness.

Euphemia, who had been listening to the conversation, interjected.

“For now, let’s set aside the northern factories and deal with the urgent ones. I’ll investigate the northern factories myself.”

“Alright. If we destroy those disgusting places, additional clues will surely emerge.”

As soon as the conversation ended, Dorempa spread his wings forcefully.

Whoosh—

The strong wind made our hair flutter violently.

His voice echoed like a low echo in the cave.

“I’ll take charge of the Voltar branch. You destroy the other one.”

“Got it.”

I could see the Emperor’s expression wrinkling, as she was trying hard to suppress it.

…Ignoring it, I continued talking.

“Wait.”

His pillar-like legs, which had been about to strike the ground, came to a halt.

“What is it?”

“Don’t move first.”

“What?”

“We need to act simultaneously. The proposal for the alliance will begin at sunset tomorrow, and it’s wise to keep an eye on that scene.”

I too felt like I wanted to attack right away.

However, for a perfect rescue and suppression, it was necessary to thoroughly sweep everything in one go.

To ensure that no one could escape, careful preparation was needed.

“….”

Dorempa silently looked at me with his transparent eyes.

In the past.

The mischievousness that used to resonate within him was nowhere to be found now.

I wondered if Cuculli would end up like that someday.

A thought that didn’t suit the current situation suddenly crossed my mind.

Whoosh—

Turning his head, the Great Chief, with his towering legs, spread his enormous wings and disappeared beyond the sky.

“Huh.”

I exhaled a breath I had been holding, turning away from the Emperor who seemed to have a lot to say.

As if she had been waiting, Euphemia spoke.

“So, you’re going to face the army of corpses alone?”

“First, listen to the story.”

“Seems like you’ve forgotten, but this isn’t the Lonkers’ territory; it’s Jedo. Don’t act like the real Hero and ask for help. You don’t have to bear everything alone.”

I held up my hand to tell her to calm down as she tilted her head crookedly.

‘There are many people who can help….’

As far as I know, there aren’t many elite forces that can secretly move on Jedo Kyros right now.

Most of the Dawn Knights and heroes were away due to Euphemia’s special mission (dealing with the Western Frontier while the Eastern Conquest was underway).

Furthermore, the Captain of the Royal Guard, Felson, was in Rosenstark, and the covert members of the Shadow Unit were scattered and busy with various activities.

Euphemia seemed to hope for Barun, Mother Ghost, or other knights to accompany me, but unfortunately…

Regrettably, my skills were not yet at a level where I could confidently present myself as a “hero” in front of others.

‘Of course, there’s the option of urgently calling the heroes who are on other missions…’

But leaving others to save the demi-humans while leaving others felt meaningless.

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‘…It seems odd for a hero who has directly uncovered the Demonic Church’s conspiracy to entrust it to others.’

So, it was appropriate for me to step forward with the explanation now that the time had come.

After the explanation, Euphemia seemed to be pressing her temples, as if her head was throbbing.

“Given your personality, you’ll try your best to save the demi-humans as well.”

“You know me well.”

“Do you think you can handle a necromancer and rescue hostages alone?”

“…I can. Trust me and wait.”

Pong—

Instead of a response, the Emperor threw a pebble into the lake, creating a small ripple.

.

.

.

Before returning to the palace, the Emperor left with these words:

“Be aware of your worth. If you die, who knows what will happen.”

“I know better than anyone. So, I won’t fail.”

“…Alright, I believe you.”

Euphemia must have felt awkward about the trust she expressed for the first time, so she frowned at him a few times, then turned around and disappeared.

I also prepared to leave.

The plans were already set in motion when I arrived here.

Thud—

I stopped my steps at a crossroad with dense vines.

A little further to the left was the entrance to the hideout, and in front of it was the protective barrier stone.

That was the purpose of coming here.

‘It’s not just an ordinary security artifact.’

For the Original and the fake, they had numerous hiding places.

One differentiating factor was the protective barrier stone.

The performance of the barrier stone was simple.

First, it sent powerful magical waves that distorted perception, blocking the approach of ordinary people.

If someone who could manipulate magic tried to forcibly penetrate the set area…

Various destructive spells of different kinds would be unleashed.

‘The embedded spells disappear after one use, but…’

For a single battle, it would be more efficient than an ordinary mage.

No need to maintain it, and it was portable.

The artifact that the “Original” obtained during demonic realm exploration.

It was a place filled with memories and guarded by a protective barrier stone.

This time, however, it seemed necessary to use it.

If the Original one knew the situation, then he would surely understand.

…Understand.

…Stand.

…Meaning.

That was as far as it went.

The thoughts of the hero stalled at the edge.

It couldn’t go further.

‘What…?’

The hero stood still, looking down at the shattered protective barrier stone that lay limp on the ground.

At that moment, all sounds and movements around him ceased.

Someone had arrived here.

The hero ran.

There was no time for other thoughts.

He climbed up the hill, tore through the vines and branches, and in an instant stood in front of the dimly lit cave.

The handle of the iron door was gripped and released again.

As expected, it was open.

He realized that his entire body was soaked in sweat.

‘Let’s stay calm.’

Brushing away the sweat beads on his forehead, he took a deep breath, but breathing felt suffocating, as if water had filled his lungs.

Who?

How?

When?

From the moment he saw the broken boundary stone, words floated through his mind without forming sentences.

But there was one thing.

One thing was certain.

…They had to be killed.

Anyone who intruded here had to be killed.

Accessing the subspace of the Key of Valber, the hero, wielding a greatsword, ran through the narrow and elongated corridor.

Swish-

Suddenly, Nova’s blue glow enveloped his body.

‘Close!’

The intruder seemed to have no intention of hiding their presence.

Chasing the clearly revealed signs, he reached the innermost part of the hideout.

A square-shaped room, where the ‘Original’ had met his end.

And there, he encountered…

“You’ve come.”

Facing him was a white-haired sorceress.

Without even turning around, she greeted him.

There was no sign of hostility, but his heart sank gradually.

…He knew the identity of this unwelcome guest.

A mage, the longest-serving comrade of the hero and a representative sorceress of the Second Era.

Miracle, Larze Gion.

She had finally turned her head to look at him.

Why?

It was an overwhelmingly advantageous distance to deal with a wizard.

However, I couldn’t swing the sword.

Swish-

The Iris of Laplace, for the first time, poured out the most comments it had ever made among the people it had encountered.

▼

Recorded Individual:

Larze Gion

Miracle

Archmage

Seeker of all things

Aspirant of the First Era

Insatiable thirst for knowledge

Successor

Unpredictable

* Previous user messages are still present

– Make a deal with her…

▲

Swish-

“No, no.”

Larze waved her hand as if shooing away a fly.

Then, the guidance window shattered into pieces and… disappeared without a trace.

“It’s supposed to be our first meeting, and you should see me in person.”

A sticky liquid filled his eyes, and his vision turned progressively red.

… In the midst of that, Larze, with an incomprehensible bright smile, spoke.

“Hello, Doppelganger.”

[TL/N: OH FUCK.]

[PR/N: Bro’s cooked…or not?]

HEL SCANS

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