This World Needs a Hero

Chapter 73

HEL SCANS

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It was well past evening, almost turning into night, when the hero returned.

Unconsciously passing through the heart of Lonkers, his steps came to a sudden halt as he headed towards the inn.

A tavern stood right next to the inn.

It was because familiar silhouettes were visible through the window.

Clank, thud!

The hero entered the tavern, pushing through the dust, sweat, and the cheap solo of the place.

Noubelmag and Nyhill were enjoying a late dinner and drinks at a table.

The sight of the two, seemingly mismatched yet strangely fitting, caught his attention.

“Have you returned?”

Nyhill, spotting the hero, stood up abruptly and nodded respectfully.

The hero’s eyes widened slightly as if he was quite happy to see her, but no one noticed it.

“Hmm…”

The hero realized he didn’t need to order his menu.

Noubelmag seemed to have spent money decently, as the table was filled with good options.

So, he just ordered a beer and sat down.

“Thanks for taking care of Nyhill.”

“I should feed her well since she worked hard. I guess there’s nothing suitable to eat in my cabin.”

“…Feed her well?”

The hero looked at Nyhill.

It then struck him that her clothes were stained with soot and the smell of iron.

“Hmph, worked diligently like a cow.”

Noubelmag remarked casually.

He seemed to have consumed quite a bit of alcohol.

Droplets of beer clung to the beard visible under his worn robe.

“Looks like you’ve been to the stake area?”

“I’ve been there since yesterday. The manager of the stake is a subordinate of Malekia.”

“…Malekia? The stake of that dirty tribe? Why not just destroy it directly instead of delaying time?”

It was an expected question, and the excuse was also prepared.

“I requested reinforcements.”

“…Reinforcements?”

“Yeah, they should arrive within two days.”

….Reinforcements.

Noubelmag tilted his head.

Isn’t he the hero?

He could easily sweep away lower-grade stakes alone.

Why call for reinforcements?

At his puzzled expression, the hero added,

“The range of monster activity is wider than expected, spreading to nearby villages. Moreover, the manager was nowhere to be found, leaving the position vacant.”

It was a skillful blend of truth and lies.

“So?”

“If I break down the stake too hastily, the scattered monsters, as well as the absent demons, will likely complicate things, so I plan to wait and deal with them all at once. For now, I plan to continue to rescue those who are captured as tribute.”

Glancing briefly at the hero, Noubelmag sipped his beer with a somewhat bitter expression.

‘It’s been less than half a year since the great battle took place.’

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Not immediately subduing the stakes, of course, had its reasons.

Perhaps even the Leader…

Was he injured like the demon king?

Noubelmag cautiously entertained that thought.

But he didn’t ask.

The leader he knew always made the best choices for the best results.

It would be the same this time.

“Well… I believe you’ll handle it well on your own. As long as I don’t get interrupted in my work, anything’s fine.”

“For someone speaking so coldly, you’ve put quite a few exquisite things on the Lonkers stall.”

“…Exquisite? They’re just things made from leftover materials.”

Whether he knew or not, the hero spoke in a casual tone.

“Oh, I almost forgot to mention. Yussi asked to send her regards.”

“…Yussi?”

At that, Noubelmag’s eyebrows, which had been serious, twitched.

“Huh, is that crazy human still alive?”

“Yeah. She’s in very good health.”

“Regrettable.”

Although he said it grumpily, he seemed to be glad to hear news of his old colleague.

Seeing the faint smile on Noubelmag’s lips, the hero felt that he seemed slightly brighter than yesterday.

“How was your time with Nyhill?”

“Well, I heard how the leader thinks of me.”

The hero chuckled softly.

“Please understand. I don’t want to lose you in a place like this.”

“……”

“By the way, is everything going well with the tasks?”

“Just so-so.”

As Noubelmag let out a deep sigh, the conversation paused for a moment.

Only the sound of Nyhill quietly chewing on bread could be heard.

When it seemed she finished her meal, the hero spoke.

“Nyhill, you’ve worked hard today. Go back to the accommodation, tidy up, and rest.”

“Alright. Then…”

She bowed slightly towards Noubelmag.

“I hope you have a peaceful night too, Noubelmag.”

“Sure. See you tomorrow morning.”

“…Morning?”

“Gotta work.”

“…….”

The hero deliberately avoided looking at Nyhill, who was looking at him.

Regardless, if Nyhill and Noubelmag became friends, there wouldn’t be any harm.

“…….”

As Nyhill, who had occupied one side of the table, disappeared, a brief silence lingered in the air.

Surprisingly, it was Noubelmag who broke the silence first.

“Not an ordinary kid, huh?”

It was a question that seemed to be asked about something they both knew.

“…My machines might be more humane.”

“…An agent of the Secret Service, I presume.”

“Well, Secret Service…”

Noubelmag took another sip of his beer.

“For a kid from that hell, she manages to find nooks and crannies quite well.”

The hero nodded in agreement.

He knew well the innocent and childlike side of Nyhill.

She seemed naturally kind, a genuinely good soul.

They both stared at the empty space where she had been sitting.

“Oh, by the way, it seems the wolf statue and blessing stone you entrusted should be finished by tomorrow evening. I’ll stop by the mine and pick them up.”

“Thanks, I’ll make sure to do that.”

With that, the conversation ended, and silence filled the space between them once again.

They emptied their glasses, lost in their own thoughts.

…The hero pondered.

In two days, the reinforcements would arrive.

Euphemia had gathered knights and soldiers from nearby territories as much as possible.

“After the tragedy of the Desmond Lusser escort, it took time for the surplus forces of nearby nobles to recover,” she said.

Anyway, with them, it should be relatively easy to attack the stakes.

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Until then, disrupting Malekia’s influence in the region would be sufficient.

On the other hand, Noubelmag contemplated.

His task was reaching its final stages.

He had invested time and effort into creating a masterpiece—a weapon left unfinished by his deceased son.

The ‘Spirit Artifact’ he wanted to show off to him more than anyone else.

Once it was completed, what should he do next?

The two of them clinked glasses, each lost in their own thoughts.

* * *

Midnight in the study.

The Emperor, leaning diagonally on her chair, reminisced about the verbose reports that had been piling up on the communication crystal for the past few days.

“I am finally fighting”

Talking about guerrilla warfare being safe.

“I estimated their strength through reconnaissance, and it doesn’t seem dangerous”

Talking about gauging the enemy’s power.

“If I conquer the stakes, we might convince Noubelmag to return,”

Talking about persuading Noubelmag.

Pretending to be calculative, pretending to be administrative, pretending to be looking for benefits.

Despite all the justifications, Euphemia could see through the ‘fake’s’ intentions.

It was because the thought process resembled that of a long-time friend.

‘He just wants to save the visible people he can see.’

I would have definitely told you to save yourself.

Euphemia gritted her teeth.

Fortunately, her volcanic rage seemed to subside over time.

…In truth, she expected something like this to happen when he mentioned going near the stakes.

It was fortunate that he didn’t recklessly charge towards the stakes.

If he had, she would have personally led the troops, removed the stakes, and probably plucked that guy’s hair out.

Though the loss of those elegant wolf-like hair might be a bit regrettable, hair grows back.

Or he could use polymorphing or something to fix it.

“Ha.”

The Emperor, dispelling the harsh imagination with a chuckle, turned her gaze back to the report.

[Lonkers Expedition Report]

Recovery of the First Era heritage, the Key of Valber.

Secured numerous powerful artifacts.

Successful rescue of 7 civilian hostages.

Elimination of over 30 monsters.

…and so on.

…Honestly, it was an impressive achievement for a single individual.

The Emperor realized that the ‘fake’ was growing abnormally fast… and soon she could even guess the reason.

“Thanks to the Iris of Laplace, I suppose.”

The first time she saw those glasses was during his first meeting with Ted.

He always wore the Iris of Laplace like a second pair of eyes.

Naturally, curiosity arose among his comrades about its identity and performance, but there was no answer.

Perhaps Euphemia was the only one among the knights who knew the truth.

“A non-standard artifact with unparalleled performance, and the reason why I could become this strong.”

After a brief silence, Ted murmured quietly.

“And also my shackles.”

After that conversation, he gradually stopped wearing the symbolic external glasses.

‘With such rapid growth in less than half a year… I should ask exactly how it contributes to his growth.’

Only then would she be able to make her plans for the future.

It is obvious that he will run wild, but we need to know his power level in advance.

“Hmm.”

Having organized her thoughts up to that point, the Emperor let out a long sigh and closed her eyes.

“Hoo.”

The silvery hair, neatly arranged around her eyebrows, became disheveled.

Several days into the vigil.

If not for her origin, the ‘Ultimate Body,’ she would have succumbed to illness long ago.

However, the Emperor’s rest couldn’t last much longer.

*Beeeep*

The Emperor irritably opened her eyes.

It was in the next moment that her eyebrows sharply narrowed when she saw the sender.

“Your Majesty! Head of the Exploration Unit, Will Turman reporting. Please forgive the rudeness for not showing enough courtesy.”

Immediately after the great battle.

The Demonic Expedition departed for the depths of the demonic realm.

On the face of the leader, excitement and fear were intermingled.

The background seemed to be the Grand Mountain Range.

It seemed like they attempted to contact as soon as they reached an area with communication capabilities.

“…What’s going on?”

Will, the head of the exploration unit, took a deep breath…

“The return of the Demon King has been determined!”

He revealed the greatest achievement of the exploration unit.

Euphemia stood up abruptly.

* * *

Meanwhile, the Emperor’s astonishment.

The hero’s struggle.

Noubelmag’s long contemplation.

In the distant, peaceful academy, Rosenstark.

The children at the Extreme swallowed their saliva and looked at the old professor standing upright on the podium.

It was the beginning of the first reinforcement.

HEL SCANS

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