Chapter 51
HEL SCANS
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Luke glared behind him with a stern expression.
‘… Should I use that?’
No way.
As long as there were classmates next to him, it was impossible.
He had no choice but to fight.
“Hehehe, it’s so funny. I came because he didn’t come, and I saw something ridiculous.”
“Damn, what is this? What am I seeing right now? Did that idiot get his balls kicked by a kid?”
Two sturdy assailants approached with fierce expressions.
Faces covered with wrinkles and rough beards.
Twisted lips trembled with anger.
“This son of a bitch. Your balls will spin like that, too, so wait for it.”
Luke pulled out a short sword from the corpse for the time being.
When it comes to trash talk, he won’t lose.
“Your friend also kicked the bucket just by talking big. You guys should stick together and die.”
“Haha, guys. Let’s start by pulling out that tongue of his.”
…He provocatively taunted them, but the situation wasn’t actually good.
It would be different if there was a numerical advantage.
It’s difficult to deal with both of them at the same time with just a short sword.
Moreover, the current location was a narrow alley with many obstacles.
It was a challenging condition even for Evergreen, the archer, to act effectively.
He couldn’t do anything just now because the angle of attack wasn’t favourable.
‘Those guys must have seen their friend in trouble, so they won’t let their guard down.’
Thinking up to that point, Luke suddenly shook his head with a determined expression.
So what’s the plan?
The situation has already unfolded.
Complaining won’t change anything.
A life spent as a mercenary since childhood.
It was when Luke was about to rush in first to capture his heart.
“Ha, you can do it, right?”
“I don’t know! You should try it first!”
Ban and Evergreen were buzzing in the back.
For an instant, Luke and the assailant’s attention was focused on that place.
Uuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu!
… And as if in response, a huge amount of magical energy surged from Ban’s body.
Born as the eldest son of a master swordsman, he received various education from a very young age and devoted himself to mana training.
Because of the trauma, he couldn’t swing a sword, but if you just look at his mana capacity, it was more than Luke and Evergreen combined.
The majestic mana vibrated violently and enveloped Ban’s sturdy upper body.
“Ugh, I’ll do my best!”
Evergreen’s expression next to him was also tinged with unusual determination.
For some unknown reason, the assailants attacked with evil intent.
“Damn it, get him!”
“Kill him!”
And then…
Evergreen, holding a bow in her hand, leaped into the air.
Her slender body soared about 2 to 3 meters and then descended.
A seemingly purposeless jumping in place.
It was at that moment that Ban’s palm precisely reached her landing point.
“Ah.”
The moment Evergreen’s foot touched Ban’s hand.
Everyone in that place understood their intention.
Ban’s hand lifted the girl’s petite body as it was.
“Go, Evergreen! Fly!”
“Hueeaaaaa!!”
Evergreen flew out like a projectile from a sling.
Golden hair fluttering wildly.
In the blink of an eye, she landed on a tall and sturdy pole set up to support various canopies.
‘Crazy….’
Luke stared blankly at that absurd leap.
On that narrow foothold.
Evergreen, who skillfully centered herself, confidently raised her bow.
In this place, unlimited sniping was possible.
“It’s a good place to shoot arrows.”
Absurd.
But it was an appropriate strategy.
“I’ll play the role of a meat shield or something.”
Having completed his tasks, Ban quietly approached Luke and stood next to him, his determined expression being observed silently by Luke.
“Sure, go ahead,” Luke chuckled heartily.
The boy, who had been giggling a moment ago, soon picked up the hand axe from the ground.
The place where the gleaming blade pointed was filled with assailants, frozen in surprise due to a series of extraordinary events.
“Alright, no need to rush. We should go see our friend,” Luke said.
If the Hero had witnessed it, he would have been impressed by the party play that evoked admiration and praised them.
* * *
The auction house, where the chaos had subsided, fell silent.
Desmond’s painful moans only rang out intermittently.
There were only two reasons why his life was barely hanging on.
First, his beloved chainmail.
Just before the explosion, Desmond tightly wrapped himself in the chainmail to minimize the damage.
As a high-grade artifact, the chainmail with excellent hardness absorbed a considerable amount of shock.
Second, an early dispel.
Even for a Hero with the Iris of Laplace capable of scrutinizing all existing magical formulas, it was challenging to time the dispel so that only Desmond was the one who suffered damage.
Thanks to this, some bombs were neutralized before detonation.
He survived.
But he wasn’t unscathed.
A bomb was still a bomb.
No matter how protected by artifacts and magical powers, the destructive force was too much for the human body to endure.
However…
However!
What is that?
Beyond the dimly flickering vision, there was a silhouette approaching him.
Desmond, now reduced to a rag, stared at him like he was witnessing a monster.
He couldn’t comprehend it at all.
This was beyond belief.
“Wha, how…?”
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But after the smoke and dust cleared, as Desmond confirmed the face of the man who had thrown off his mask, he understood the absurd situation.
A trembling voice followed, “Ted… Redymer.”
Silence followed.
“Ted Redymer!!!”
Why was he here?
Desmond, who had spent a long time in captivity, was unaware that the Hero had become a professor at Rosenstark.
Even if he knew, he wouldn’t have imagined that he would be here today.
The Hero replied, sounding a bit weary, “You recognize me.”
“There’s no way I wouldn’t!”
Desmond replied, feeling a strange sense of humiliation.
There was no way not to recognize him.
The boy who shone brilliantly throughout their time at the academy.
The boy who made Desmond realize that his own talents were nothing.
“Do you remember me?”
Ted asked.
“To some extent,” Desmond replied.
“Haha, hahaha.”
The boundary between reality and the past became blurred.
The appearance of the Hero seemed to transport Desmond back a decade or so.
Desmond admired him, envied him, and sometimes felt jealous, just like any other classmate.
The crucial difference lay in how Desmond’s complex feelings manifested into a twisted desire.
Desmond wanted to savor the process of corruption like a fine wine.
“Yes, you might be wondering how a classmate you studied with ended up like this. The reason I fell into corruption…”
“I don’t want to know about that.”
“What?”
The Hero, or rather the ‘doppelganger,’ raised a partially shattered spear.
“Wait a moment!”
From the perspective of the Hero, or the ‘doppelganger,’ Desmond seemed a pitiful and pathetic existence.
He was born as a human, blessed with enough talent to be admitted to Rosenstark, with the potential to enjoy many things.
He began this life holding what he once sacrificed his life for, wanting to obtain things he desired even if he had to start by sacrificing himself.
Well, maybe he was a bit unfortunate.
He was well aware, through the life of the man he admired, that there was no equality between misfortune and wrongdoing.
“Are you going to kill me?”
Desmond asked, trembling.
He had lived his entire life strictly following the logic of the survival of the fittest. Faced with an overwhelmingly strong opponent, he couldn’t even think of resisting.
Seeing his pitiful state, the Hero shook his head.
“I’d rather I were dead.”
He won’t kill him.
This assault had many unclear corners in various ways.
He intended to send Desmond to the imperial palace to uncover its intricacies.
From there, the loyal torture specialists of Euphemia would take over.
“What… cough!”
The Hero hit Desmond on the back of the neck with his spear, knocking him unconscious, and then began cutting the muscles in his limbs one by one.
However, the Hero, who had confidently been cutting through the muscle tendons, was taken aback.
‘…A scar?’
There was already a mark on the severed vein.
Nevertheless, the man moved energetically.
In other words, someone had reattached the once-cut veins.
“…”
The question was put on hold for a moment.
The Hero kicked the limp Desmond and exited the now-ruined lounge.
Many eyes were fixed on him.
No one here was unaware of his identity.
“Detain the prisoner.”
“Yes, sir!”
“We’ll soon send people to rescue him, so wait in a place with low collapse risk.”
The Hero spoke while putting the unconscious Desmond down.
No one dared to approach him.
They just watched, each with a mix of awe and curiosity.
“…”
The Hero glanced at them before turning away.
He had saved those he could see and reach.
That was enough.
It wasn’t an action driven by any particular expectation.
Now it was time to go see his students.
As he was about to leap through the hole in the ceiling, someone gently pulled the hem of his garment.
“Excuse me, Hero!”
There stood Rachel.
The people were greatly stirred by the courage of the young merchant.
However, she, blushing, courteously clasped her hands and bowed deeply at the waist.
“Thank you so much!”
Then she replied with a bright radiant smile.
“Someday, I’ll definitely repay this favor!”
With a deeply bowed waist and that innocent smile, the Hero watched her without saying anything and swiftly left.
“Hehe….”
Rachel was more than satisfied.
The faint smile on the Hero’s lips, drawn in a slight arc, made her day.
Rachel followed the Hero, standing beneath the hole in the ceiling.
As if the recent crisis was a lie, the bright sunlight of a spring day was pouring in.
* * *
Fortunately, there was minimal damage outside the auction house amid the unfortunate events.
The quick response of some students who were outside the venue played a significant role.
They efficiently evacuated civilians, collaborated seamlessly with security forces and other students, and successfully surrounded the attackers.
As a result, the assailants failed to escape, and the fierce resistance culminated in the Hero suppressing the chaos in the auction house.
The sky was filled with a circular band of light – red, blue, white, and yellow, a vivid spectrum that defies easy description – as it crushed the bodies of those laden with sins.
Everyone froze at the Hero’s entrance.
“Professor! Wow! That was scary!”
“P-Professor, I’m relieved that you’re unharmed.”
“…Thank you for your hard work.”
Only the three children ran towards him.
The Hero silently observed the chaotic scene and then said, “Let’s go back.”
His words made everyone realize that the situation had come to an end.
The Hero called for a carriage to take them back to the academy and left the bustling scene for post-processing.
At that moment, a girl with prominent freckles, startled, exclaimed,
“Oh no, my shopping bag! What if someone took it!”
With a muffled laugh, the boys who had returned with several shopping bags watched her run towards the street like a startled fawn.
Soon, they couldn’t contain their laughter.
The chaotic events that had unfolded outside the academy seemed to be coming to a close.
* * *
Before the academy could send a carriage for them, they had already climbed onto another carriage.
The VIPs grateful for the Hero’s kindness were eager to support them and provided a carriage.
Choosing the most spacious and comfortable one, the Hero took the children aboard.
“Umm.”
Seated side by side, the children gathered around as if they had made a promise.
They rested their heads against the window or on each other’s shoulders, falling into a deep sleep.
A gentle evening breeze rustled through their different-colored hair.
“…”
The Hero continued to watch them.
The once-fatigued, antagonistic eyes now showed a faint sense of relief, and finally, the tension melted away.
“Ah.”
Sighing, he leaned his head against the backrest.
Although his body didn’t require sleep, fatigue was palpable both in his physique and mind.
He recalled the dimly lit lounge, the people he couldn’t protect even though they were within sight and reach.
Then, the image of the children running towards him replayed in his mind.
What if the situation had been a bit worse?
His eyes, once sinking, suddenly sparkled with vitality.
It seemed like he understood why the ‘Original’, despite having tremendous skills, always fixated on becoming stronger.
During the moment when the Hero’s face contorted fiercely, a soft sensation was felt on his knee.
It was a wolf doll.
Evergreen had awakened, cheerfully presenting it to him, mentioning how he forgot to give it earlier, knowing that he liked wolves.
The Hero couldn’t resist and chuckled at the unexpected gift.
Evergreen, elated by the rare event, widened her eyes and burst into laughter.
Being a mentor seemed to be quite challenging, especially when faced with such a mismatched gift that couldn’t be refused.
The Hero enjoyed the plush texture a few more times before placing the doll in the folds of his cloak.
▼
Understanding of Ban Dietrich deepened.
Understanding Level: 21/100 -> 22/100
Understanding of Evergreen Solintail deepened.
Understanding Level: 13/100 -> 14/100
Understanding of Luke Selsood deepened.
Understanding Level: 5/100 -> 6/100
▲
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