The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 19 - Seven Eyes [Interlude]

Iris headed to her dorm room.

Unlike the shabby dormitories where candidates like me, who attend school on a state scholarship, reside, her dormitory had a clean and elegant exterior that even a luxury hotel couldn’t compare to.

"This is my room."

Click.

She unlocked the door with her Hero Watch and carefully opened it.

'Iris's dorm room.'

An unknown territory, which I had never seen in my previous life, unfolded before my eyes.

"Wow…."

The first thought I had as I stepped into her room was that it was ‘spacious.’

Unlike my room, where there was barely any space left after fitting in a bed and a desk, her room was spacious enough to comfortably accommodate a family of four.

"So tidy."

The second thought I had was that everything was incredibly organized.

The furniture in the room was arranged at sharp angles, as if prepared for a military inspection, and the place was polished to the point where not a speck of dust was visible.

"Besides Camilla, you're the first person I've shown my room to."

Iris headed towards the dining table with a shy smile.

The table was laden with dishes as if the meal preparation was already done.

"Please, have a seat."

"What about the chefs?"

"They leave the room after setting the meal and stay outside until we finish eating."

"I see."

So, it meant that in this spacious room, it was truly just Iris and me alone.

'This feels a bit strange.'

Eating alone with her was a rare event even in my previous life.

We generally ate together since I started dating her after forming a party with Yuren, Berald, and Sophia.

"Well then…."

I glanced over the various dishes on the table.

As expected of a meal from the Holy Kingdom, it mainly consisted of vegetable-based dishes.

"Ugh…."

It’s not that I dislike vegetables.

But seeing nothing but greens on the table made me naturally sigh.

"These are all good for your health, so no complaints and eat up."

"Okay, okay."

Vegetable-only diets generally have a poor nutritional balance, contrary to their healthy image, but…

'The cuisine from the Holy Kingdom is different.'

I’m not exactly sure what kind of magic they put into the vegetables, but somehow, they made it so that just eating greens provided a well-balanced array of nutrients.

Of course, they’d sacrificed taste in the process.

'Well… I do need to take care of my physical condition.'

At least this should be better for my health than the bread and milk from the convenience store.

"Thanks for the meal."

As I was diligently shoveling the plate full of greens into my mouth under the guise of health, I noticed Iris looking at me with a hesitant expression.

"What’s up?"

"Um… I have a favor to ask."

"What is it?"

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"Just a moment."

Iris carefully retrieved something from a kitchen cupboard.

What she held in her hand was….

"…Ramen?"

"I… I really wanted to eat the ramen you made."

"……."

Wait a second.

Was this the reason she was humming happily earlier?

"You give me these greens and then you’re going to eat ramen?"

"Um, I usually eat a lot, so it's okay!"

"That's harsh, really harsh. I didn’t expect this from you, Lady Iris…."

"…So, are you not going to make it for me?"

Iris looked at me with a face full of dejection.

Her expression was so pitiful, like a puppy abandoned by its owner, that my heart nearly skipped a beat.

‘That’s not fair.’

Would there be any man in the world who could refuse to cook ramen for her in this situation, regardless of whether she was his past-life lover or not?

"Alright, I’ll make it for you."

"Yay!"

Iris clenched her fists in triumph, her previous dejection vanishing instantly.

"Do you have an egg?"

"Yes, but… why do you need an egg?"

"Hehe, just wait and see."

I'll show you a taste from heaven.

-Bubbling.

I added the seasoning and noodles to the boiling water and, when the noodles were almost cooked, I cracked in an egg.

Five minutes after I entered the kitchen, I brought the steaming pot of ramen to Iris.

"Wow."

Iris's eyes sparkled as she gazed at the bubbling ramen.

"Try it. This will taste different from the last time."

"Okay."

Iris grabbed some noodles along with the half-cooked egg and slurped it up.

And then…

"MmMmmm!!!"

Iris let out a hum of happiness, her legs paddling under the table like a duck's.

"How is it? Delicious, right?"

"What is this?! How does adding an egg change the flavor this much?!"

Seeing Iris devour the ramen with excitement brought a smile to my face.

'Seeing Iris eat it makes me want ramen too.'

After all, there's nothing more appetizing than watching someone else eat ramen.

"Then let me have just one bite…."

"No."

As soon as I reached out with my chopsticks, Iris quickly pulled the pot away as if she were hiding treasure.

"You need to finish your ‘healthy meal,’ remember?"

"What?"

"Hehe. It’s your fault for always eating unhealthy convenience store food."

Seeing Iris smile and point at the greens, I couldn’t help but see a devilish figure overlapping with her once serene image as a saint.

"Pfft."

Iris couldn't hold back her laughter, covering her mouth as she giggled at my dejected face.

"I'm just kidding, so don't make that face. Here, I'll share some with you."

‘Now that's the Iris I know.’

I never doubted her, not even for a moment.

"But you still need to eat your vegetables, okay?"

"Alright."

Geez.

‘Iris is still Iris.’

Seeing her concerned about my well-being brought back memories from my previous life.

As Iris and I were enjoying our lunch together, I asked,

"By the way, are you okay, Iris?"

"Huh? About what?"

"That tentacled monster earlier. It looked terrifying."

“Ah….”

Iris gave an awkward smile and twirled a lock of her soft pink hair around her finger.

“Actually, I didn’t see it, that hideous tentacle monster.”

“You didn’t?”

“Yes. My eyes have a special power, so illusions don’t work on me.”

“…A special power?”

“Just a moment.”

Her beautiful blue eyes, reminiscent of the clear sky, turned towards me.

And then, in an instant.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Iris’s eyes transformed into a rainbow hue.

“That’s….”

“The old… I mean, the elders of the Holy Kingdom call it the ‘Seven Eyes.’”

The Seven Eyes.

A sign of receiving the blessing of the seven gods, and the reason she was revered as the ‘Saint’ of the Holy Kingdom.

“Thanks to these eyes, I wasn’t affected by the illusion and could pass the test. Professor Morpheus didn’t say anything even after his illusion magic failed, so I guess he knew.”

“…….”

As I stared at her eyes sparkling with a beautiful rainbow hue, I kept my mouth shut.

Suddenly.

A conversation I had with her in my previous life came to mind.

-How did your eyes end up like that?

-Ah. My eyes, you mean?

According to her.

During her fourth year at Hero School, her vision gradually became blurred over a few months, and one day, she couldn’t see anymore.

-It was a curse.

-…A curse? Who would dare?

Who could possibly curse the Saint of the Seven Stars?

-The Archbishop of Illusions, Astaroth.

The Demon Church.

A religion opposed to the Seven Stars, made up of demons blessed by the Demon God.

Among them, one of the six most powerful demons was the Archbishop of Illusions, Astaroth.

-He… cursed the entire school, aiming for the power in my eyes.

-Wait, he cursed the entire school?

-You probably didn’t know, Dale. No… not just you, no one noticed.

No matter how powerful the opponent, even if they were an ‘Archbishop’ level demon.

Who could have predicted that the entire Hero School would be cursed?

-It was a curse that only affected those with the ‘Seven Eyes,’ leaving everyone else untouched.

That’s why no one noticed.

That’s why no one realized.

-As my vision blurred day by day… stupidly, I thought I had incurred the wrath of the seven gods.

Iris smiled bitterly, adjusting the black eye patch covering her eye.

-When I realized it wasn’t divine wrath that took my sight, but a demon’s curse, it was already too late, and I had lost everything.

The ‘Seven Eyes,’ blessed by the Seven Gods.

Her life, revered as a Saint.

And.

-My… most precious friend, too.

I never knew how she managed to reclaim the position of ‘Saint’ after losing the Seven Eyes and being half-banished from the Holy Kingdom.

At that time, I was just a lowly mercenary struggling to survive day by day.

‘But.’

There was one thing I knew for certain.

‘Iris must have lost so much on returning to being the Saint.’

That playful smile on her face now, something I had never seen before, was probably one of those things.

“Dale?”

“Oh, yes.”

“Hehe… I guess eyes that shine like a rainbow look strange?”

“No, it’s not that.”

Shaking my head, I gazed at Iris’s eyes, sparkling with a rainbow hue.

“They’re beautiful.”

To the point where I felt like I would protect them at any cost.

“Eep…!”

Iris quickly turned her head away.

Before I knew it, her eyes had reverted to their usual blue.

“No matter how much you compliment me, I can’t keep showing them. I’m still not very good at controlling the ‘Seven Eyes.’”

Iris stood up as if to hide her blushing cheeks.

“It’s almost time for the chefs to come in and clean up.”

“Oh, right.”

“There are no afternoon classes today, so would you like to have a cup of coffee outside?”

“Sorry. I have some things to take care of, so I’ll have to pass.”

“…I see.”

Iris, looking disappointed, poked at the floor with the tip of her shoe.

“Let’s have lunch together again next week.”

“Oh… yes! Of course!”

“You’re not planning to ditch Camilla again, are you?”

“Hmm~ I don’t know what you’re talking about~?”

Iris pretended not to know, a mischievous smile spreading across her face.

“…….”

A smile I had never seen in her previous life.

Childlike, playful.

A side of her I didn’t know.

-Click.

After closing the door behind me, I leaned against it.

“It’s okay.”

A promise she couldn’t hear, a vow that wouldn’t reach her.

I whispered it to her beyond the door.

“This time, you won’t lose anything.”

I will make sure of it.

[Translator - Night]

[Proofreader - Gun]