This World Needs a Hero

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Side Story 7 – The Stars and the Astronomer (1)

9 years later.

Early morning, the capital.

Young students in uniform and their parents were gradually gathering at the academy.

Most were busy giving last-minute words of encouragement to their nervous children, who stood stiff with tension.

Among them was a particularly large man.

With short, cropped blonde hair and a well-groomed beard, he looked to be somewhere between a young and middle-aged man.

He was whispering something to his son.

"You better behave. If you go around bragging that you're my son, you're dead, got it?"

Smack—

Just as he said that, a hand smacked him on the back.

"You! You always say the worst things to him. Try saying something nice for once."

"Alright, alright..."

"Anyway, I'm going to submit the paperwork, so stay put here."

"Yes, ma'am!"

Gerald waited until Karen disappeared from sight before turning back to his son.

"You heard that your dad was always first in school, right? You better not tarnish that reputation."

"Liar."

"What?"

"What 'first'? You were always goofing around and getting scolded by the professors!"

Gerald looked at his son in shock.

His 8-year-old son, Sanderson Bryce, who had inherited his own bright blonde hair and his wife’s dark skin, stared back.

"Who told you that?!"

"Mom and sis Leciel."

"......"

"Dad, you're such an idiot~!"

Looking at his son pouting mischievously, Gerald momentarily forgot his dignity and locked his son in a headlock.

"Ahhh! Let go!"

"No!"

"Seriously! It's so embarrassing!"

Their fierce father-son scuffle was cut short when Karen returned.

Seeing passersby recognizing them and whispering ("Isn't that Lord Gerald? The war hero." "Shh, just pretend you didn't see. I'm sure there's a reason."), a vein popped out on her forehead.

"Sanderson Bryce. Gerald Bryce. Attention."

Both turned pale at her command.

Fortunately, before Karen's anger could explode, a savior arrived.

"Sanderson, hi!"

"Sanderson, hello…"

Two children in identical uniforms to Sanderson's came running over.

"Hello, Aunt Karen! Uncle Gerald! I missed you!"

"Hello, Aunt Karen. Uncle Gerald."

With bright green eyes and curly black hair, the identical twins instantly captured the attention of everyone around with their adorableness.

"Hehe, the capital is still so busy!"

The boy was energetic and full of life.

His warm smile and bouncing steps reminded one of someone familiar.

Meanwhile, the girl seemed much calmer and cooler.

"...Stop acting like such a bumpkin."

Though her eyes scanned the surroundings with a hint of boredom, the slight twitch of her lips and the flush in her cheeks betrayed her excitement.

Karen and Gerald exchanged glances and chuckled.

‘They’re exactly like their parents.’

Ethan and Yuri.

They were the children of Luke and Evergreen.

"Kids, slow down! You’ll trip!"

"Let them be. It's been a while since they’ve been able to walk together."

"Hehe, should we?"

"Hold hands."

"Okay!"

Soon, their smiles grew even brighter at the sight of their friends approaching in the distance.

"Hey! You’re still as sickeningly sweet as ever!"

Waving his arms like a windmill, Gerald greeted them as if he were back in school.

Karen didn’t stop him this time—she was already running towards Evergreen.

"It’s been so long!"

"Karen!"

Nearly a decade had passed.

Once, they’d seen each other every day like family, but now, their own busy lives had made meetings rare.

Especially since Luke and Evergreen lived in the Solintail estate.

But that didn’t mean their bond had weakened.

The four of them embraced tightly, quietly savoring the joy of their reunion.

It was Gerald who spoke first.

"Looks like we’re meeting again at 'Rosenstark.'"

At his words, all four turned their gaze simultaneously.

Flap—

Their eyes landed on the banner hanging on the front of the building.

(Congratulations) Rosenstark Gyros Campus Opening (Celebration)

Evergreen responded to his words.

"Well, it’s just a branch campus!"

Indeed, today was the opening day of the 'Rosenstark Gyros Campus.'

Unlike the main campus, which had been created to train magical combatants, this branch was designed to cultivate administrators to oversee civil affairs.

All of the harsh and brutal major and general education courses their parents' generation had taken were completely abolished.

Instead, new subjects had been introduced, including law, history, administration, sociology, and welfare and ethics.

The entrance age was set unusually low, in line with the philosophy that a leader's values should be established from childhood.

Furthermore, as a school bearing the prestigious Rosenstark name, admission was determined not by status or wealth, but by rigorous evaluations of character and intellect.

The current emperor had expressed great support for these changes, which had drawn many applicants.

'This academy is different from our time... no more death rates being recorded.'

The former students—now far too old to be called that—gazed at the academy building, lost in nostalgia.

"Shall we head in?"

"Let’s."

As the children excitedly ran ahead, the parents followed them through the main gate.

Soon after, a soft murmur escaped their lips.

"...They’ve done a good job decorating."

"It’s beautiful."

"I wish I could go back to being a student!"

"Time really flies."

Though the campus wasn’t as grand as the main one, it was orderly and well-kept enough to stir fond memories.

"Looks like it’s this way."

The building where the entrance ceremony was being held was a little further inside.

They walked across the gently sunlit lawn, the soft rustling of grass in the breeze brushing their ears.

"......"

The laughter of friends after classes, the playful whispers in the library, the chalk scraping the board, and the low voice that echoed through the lecture halls.

It was all just a nostalgic illusion, but it felt as if those beloved memories were buried everywhere.

Evergreen, noticing the subtle changes in his friends' expressions, quickly changed the subject.

“…By the way, where are our professors?”

“They must be inside, working hard. They’re doing the course introductions today too, right?”

Gerald squinted and shrugged.

“Man, those two as professors.”

“Why not? They fit the role.”

“What were their subjects again? Ban’s was history, and Leciel was….”

Karen answered.

“Art.”

The group simultaneously grinned.

“Art at Rosenstark.”

“…Cool.”

“The kids are going to love it.”

In a world where peace had returned, previously neglected values were being reevaluated.

Evergreen, as if it were her own achievement, excitedly babbled on.

“Leciel, though, she’s been super famous for a few years now. She’s been doing exhibitions and magazine interviews. She’s made a ton of money too! Her paintings are amazing.”

“Hm… is it really that big of a deal?”

“Yep, it’s that big.”

Gerald, who had been grumbling, suddenly turned around at the sound from behind.

But his surprise didn’t last long.

He couldn’t help but burst into laughter, and so did the rest of the group.

“Oh my God, Leciel.”

“…What?”

Her long, wavy red hair cascaded naturally over her shoulders.

Despite the passage of time, her beauty remained unchanged.

However, the friends' gazes weren’t fixed on her perfect face but rather on what was perched on top of it: a pair of large, clunky glasses.

…It was a design they had seen countless times before.

Leciel bit her lip, fiddling with the glasses frame.

“…Do they not suit me?”

It was hard to say they didn’t suit her, even as a joke.

But when someone tries to imitate an idol, regardless of how it looks, it often appears both cute and comical.

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“You should’ve just dyed your hair silver while you were at it.”

“Don’t tell me you’re planning to rip off your shirt during the presentation?”

“You don’t have many scars, though.”

“Yeah, no tattoos either.”

“Extreme art class….”

By the time Leciel’s pale face turned redder than her hair, the group finally remembered that they had forgotten someone.

Luke asked.

“But where’s Ban?”

Leciel was quick to follow the change in topic.

“He’s prepping for the presentation. Almost done, so he’ll be out soon.”

As soon as she finished speaking, heavy footsteps echoed from the front.

Karen's jaw dropped as she saw their friend round the corner.

“How did he get even bigger after he got discharged?”

Ban, who used to be about the same size as Luke, was now about 1.2 times wider.

He greeted them with a smile, carrying the children who had run ahead on each of his shoulders and head.

“Our little gentleman and lady here wanted to enjoy a short adventure.”

“…I can’t even. Thanks, Ban!”

Evergreen rushed forward to take the children.

Ban gently set down Sanderson in front of Karen and then stood beside Leciel.

His dark brown eyes glanced at his pocket watch.

“Five minutes left. We should head in soon.”

“…What took you so long?”

“There were just so many things we wanted to talk about. I didn’t realize I was such a chatterbox.”

That was why Ban had chosen to teach history.

Leciel smiled faintly.

“…That’s nice.”

The friends, pretending not to care, subtly watched the two of them.

But the way Ban looked at Leciel now was more relaxed than excited.

After nine long years, it seemed that he had finally succeeded in turning an unfulfilled love into friendship.

Gerald discreetly pulled Ban aside and whispered.

“Well, good job. I’ll set you up with something nice next time.”

Ban scratched his head awkwardly and replied quietly enough for only the men to hear.

“…I haven’t given up yet.”

“!”

Luke and Gerald looked at Ban in amazement.

Yeah, Ban had always been the type of guy who didn’t know how to give up.

He was also the kind of guy who always chose the hard path.

“Well, anyway, we’ll have a deep chat at tonight’s after-party.”

The after-party.

A knowing smile spread across the faces of the married men.

“Everyone else coming too? Nyhilil, Cuculli…?”

“It won’t just be the kids. The dean—sorry, the president now—and Professor Pierre will be there too. And a few others might drop by.”

“Where?”

“Where do you think? The usual place.”

“Nice.”

With that, they entered the building where the entrance ceremony was taking place.

But at that very moment, Evergreen stopped in her tracks, eyes fixed on a painting hanging at the far end of the hall.

The others also came to a halt, following her gaze.

It was a familiar painting.

“…Isn’t that…?”

“It is. The painting Larze presented to Her Majesty during the victory ceremony. What’s it doing here?”

Leciel answered.

“Her Majesty gifted it to the academy.”

“Wow… It’s been a while since I’ve seen this.”

Larze’s magical painting.

It depicted the day of Avalon’s departure, captured in moving form.

Their memories were instantly drawn back to ten years ago.

“Okay, okay. I know you’re busy, but just gather around for a moment.”

At Larze’s mysterious call, the knights who had been busying themselves around the hangar gathered together.

They all wore puzzled expressions.

Larze stared at them for about a minute, then waved them off.

“All right, that’s it. Dismissed!”

…At the time, they had thought it was just another one of Larze’s silly pranks.

Who would have thought she had immortalized that moment in magic?

“……”

The students silently took in the painting.

Their younger selves standing side by side.

Some of their comrades whose faces they could no longer see.

The iron fortress that had once traversed the Demon Realm.

…And there, standing tall on one side of the painting, a man gazing down at them.

Beneath the title “The Immortal” was a message, written in the Emperor’s elegant script.

—Remember the sacrifices made to protect this world, and lead it forward.

As their eyes naturally shifted to the children, they heard a familiar voice echoing through the walls.

[To all new students attending the entrance ceremony, the event will begin shortly. Please take your seats in the designated area…]

Recognizing the voice, they hurried toward the auditorium.

But….

“Parents, please wait outside.”

Surprisingly, the parents weren’t allowed to enter.

Ban chuckled and explained.

“It’s academy policy. They’re afraid the parents will interfere too much, so they don’t let them in.”

“Wow, they’re serious.”

“Of course. Have you ever seen the dean do things halfway?”

The children, now separated from their parents, looked a bit nervous.

The adults could only smile at their anxious expressions.

“All right, then.”

Step—

Luke was the first to take a step back.

The others followed suit.

The children watched, confused, as the adults retreated.

“……”

After a brief deep breath, they all said the same words, as if rehearsed.

“Take care of them.”

…Yes.

Every possibility lay before them.

Proof of the battles fought and the roads they had traveled.

The world they had protected would now be cultivated and reborn in the small hands of these children.

Imagining that future made their hearts swell with hope and anticipation.

‘Now I get it.’

They finally understood why their master had been looking at them with those eyes for so long.

“……”

The adults turned their gaze toward the sunlit courtyard.

“Welcome to the extreme.”

It almost felt like a voice was echoing through the unfamiliar hallway.

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