The Lowest-Ranked Hero Has Returned

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Chapter 82: The Moon Swallowed by the Sun (4)

In one corner of the imperial capital stood the Helios family estate.

The vast grounds and magnificent mansion, befitting a family that once held more power than even the imperial family, were awe-inspiring.

However, unlike the homes of some other wealthy families, it wasn't gaudy for the sake of it.

The number of "Sun Gates" that protected the Helios family and their sun was three in total.

The first Sun Gate was a towering wall and iron gate, reminiscent of a fortress, immediately visible upon reaching the mansion's entrance.

Hundreds of trained guards guarded This immense gate 24 hours a day.

The second Sun Gate was the knights seen throughout the mansion grounds after entering.

Known as the "Order of the Sun Knights," this knightly order, directly affiliated with the Helios family, was ever ready to deal with any intruders, stationed on both sides of the path leading to the mansion.

Those who sought to pass the first Sun Gate, guarded by hundreds of soldiers, and the second Sun Gate, protected by one of the three most powerful knightly orders in the empire, would eventually face the Helios family's mansion.

Opening the door to this mansion, which boasted an overwhelming size, revealed the third and most formidable Sun Gate — a magical barrier.

The last and final Sun Gate, set up directly by the Great Sage Julius Bastian for his close friend, was a protection barrier within the mansion itself.

It was said that this powerful barrier activated whenever an unauthorized outsider entered the mansion and would immediately reduce intruders to ashes through a barrage of magic attacks too numerous to count.

The reason people used the vague expression "it is said" was because in the 500-year history of the Helios family, the final Sun Gate had never been triggered.

While there had been several attempts to invade the mansion to steal its treasures, most intruders couldn't even breach the first Sun Gate.

Of course, compared to 500 years ago, the Helios family's power had waned, and the splendor of the Sun Gates was not what it once was.

Yet, as the saying goes, even a declining wealthy family lasts three generations, and the Helios family estate was still an impenetrable fortress, even if the family was on a path of ruin.

"......"

Inside this Helios family mansion, a silver-haired woman gazed blankly at the sunlight streaming in through the window.

"...It's so clear."

Looking up at the cloudless blue sky, Yurina gave a bitter smile.

"It would have been nice if it were a bit cloudy today."

The sun, shining brilliantly in the blue sky, illuminated everything in its path as always.

As if it were about to swallow the world.

As if it were about to swallow me.

Knock, knock.

The hard sound of knocking broke her thoughts.

The door opened, and her mother entered the room.

"Are you all ready?"

"...Yes."

She nodded weakly and rose from her seat.

The thin white gown, almost as thin as underwear, lightly brushed against the floor.

"Master Faust said he's also ready, so you should come out soon."

"Yes, I understand."

Following behind her mother, Yurina slowly began to walk.

Creak.

"......"

Just before leaving the room, she stopped and turned her head toward the mirror in one corner.

A silver-haired woman, wearing a white gown and gazing sadly, stared back at her.

Goodbye.

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Take care, Yurina.

She waved quietly at the silver-haired woman reflected in the mirror.

"What are you doing just standing there?"

"Ah, sorry."

"Move quickly. And fix your expression. Today is a good day, isn't it?"

"......"

"If today's procedure goes well, let's have a small celebration party afterward."

"...Yes."

A good day.

She forcefully swallowed down the emotion welling up in her throat.

"......"

In silence, Yurina followed her mother down the hallway.

The procedure would take place in the mansion's basement.

Contrary to the title "House of the Sun," it was a rather gloomy place.

"You've arrived."

Upon reaching the basement, a man who introduced himself as Faust approached.

His slicked-back white hair and monocle with a gold rim complemented his handsome appearance, and though he had a friendly smile, talking to him alone made her feel inexplicably nauseous.

"Hmm? Are you feeling unwell?"

Had her emotions shown on her face?

Faust tilted his head as he observed her expression.

"Ah, perhaps it's because the gown you're wearing is too thin?"

Clicking his tongue, Faust glanced at the thin gown she was wearing.

"This is my mistake. I assumed you wouldn't mind, given that you've lived your life as a man. Would you like me to get a thicker gown for you?"

"No, it's fine. It's not because of that."

It wasn't a lie.

‘When I was with Dale at the bathhouse, I was so embarrassed.’

For some reason, even though she was standing in front of a stranger wearing a see-through gown, she felt no shame.

What she felt now was merely a primal disgust.

A feeling similar to seeing the crushed remains of an insect.

"Hmm. Is that so?"

With a subtle smile on his lips, Faust shrugged his shoulders.

"Well then, please come and lie down here comfortably."

In the center of the large basement was a surgical table just big enough for one person to lie down on.

Surrounding it was an enormous magic circle that, even to someone like Yurina who was unfamiliar with magic, seemed immense and powerful.

As she stared in awe at the sheer scale of the magic circle, Faust approached with a soft chuckle.

"Haha. There's no need to be so tense. The procedure itself won't take long."

"...Yes."

With weary steps, she moved toward the surgical table and lay down.

The cold surface of the table could be felt through the thin gown.

"......"

All she could see above her was the dim ceiling of the basement.

On this glorious day when she was to be reborn as the true "sun," the only thing cast over her was pitch-black darkness, without a trace of light.

'Dale.'

As she lay on the surgical table, one person's face naturally came to mind.

'You looked so surprised yesterday.'

When she had approached him yesterday as "Yurina," his startled expression had been clear.

'Was it because I looked so beautiful that you were so surprised?'

Recalling the brief encounter under the moonlight last night, she couldn't help but think a silly thought.

'It was nice.'

Seeing his surprised expression, sitting next to him and talking, and the two of us silently gazing up at the moonlit sky.

Others might click their tongues, saying, "What's the big deal?"

But for me, it was an irreplaceable, precious memory.

‘That’s enough.’

Yeah, that’s enough.

Just like how a runaway student eventually returns to school, the end of rebellion should naturally be a return to routine.

"Then, I'll begin the procedure."

Yeah.

This is my routine.

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Lying on this cold operating table, waiting to become the "sun"—this moment was the truest part of my life.

‘This is it.’

This trivial thing.

This miserable thing.

This is the life Yurina Helios has lived.

‘I hate it.’

In an instant, an unbearable flood of emotions surged within me, like an explosion.

Smack!

I roughly knocked away Faust’s hand as he reached out toward me.

"Yurina! What on earth are you doing?!"

My mother’s shocked reprimand rang out.

"Oh... I, I’m sorry."

I looked back at Faust, startled.

Faust, holding his reddened hand, smiled warmly.

"No, it’s alright. I understand that you're feeling very confused right now."

He took a step back and turned toward Rosanna.

"How about giving Miss Yurina a little more time to prepare herself?"

"Sigh. I apologize. Ever since she started hanging around those commoners from the Republic, she’s been losing her manners."

"...…"

Seeing my mother sigh and shake her head, I couldn't help but let out a hollow laugh.

A hollow emptiness gnawed at my heart.

‘What have I been struggling for all this time?’

For the sake of someone like that, just to hear a single word of praise, "Well done," I had desperately worked for the past eight years.

‘Maybe… I should just run away now?’

If I threw everything away.

If I ran away from this place, would my life change?

"What are you doing? Hurry up and lie back on the operating table."

"...Yes."

Despite the boiling impulses in my mind, my body obediently followed my mother’s command.

"...…"

Life has inertia.

No matter how much I wanted to escape, the past eight years of my life had become shackles that bound me tightly.

At the cold sound of my mother’s voice, my entire body froze, unable to move.

Even the desire to escape from this place dissipated as if it were never there in the first place.

‘...Ah.’

The only thing I could do was lie back down on the operating table as my mother commanded.

"Hah, haha."

I let out a dry laugh and shook my head.

‘Nothing has changed, after all.’

Yurina Helios’s clock was still stuck at that moment eight years ago.

The day I stared at my dead brother’s body, unable to do anything but sob uncontrollably.

‘Sigh.’

Suddenly, I remembered a story my brother had told me when I was younger.

A typical fairy tale about a prince on a white horse coming to rescue a captive princess.

‘The brother who told me that story died because of me.’

With a bitter laugh, I lay on the operating table and stared up at the dark ceiling.

In the darkness, I imagined Dale’s face.

I imagined him suddenly breaking through the wall, rescuing me like the prince in the story.

‘What am I even hoping for?’

I chuckled at the absurdity of the thought.

Expecting Dale to save me?

Dale didn’t even know that I was "Yurina," not "Yuren."

And even if he knew, what could he possibly do?

‘It’s impossible for Dale to make it here alone.’

The Helios mansion was guarded by hundreds of soldiers and the Sun Knights, forming an impenetrable fortress.

Not to mention the powerful protection spells cast by the great sage Julius once you stepped inside the mansion.

No matter how skilled Dale was, there was no way he could break through the three "Sun Gates" and reach this place.

"Please begin the procedure."

Indulging in childish fantasies ends here.

It’s time to face reality.

"It seems you're ready now."

Faust smiled gently as he approached me.

As his hand reached out to touch my stigma—

Beep!

A shrill alarm suddenly blared from the Hero Watch on my mother’s wrist.

"What is it now?"

My mother furrowed her brows in irritation as she turned on the Hero Watch.

"I told you I have an important event today—"

[An intruder! There’s an intruder!]

"What?"

[An intruder has broken through the first 'Sun Gate' and entered the mansion grounds!]

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