Is this Hero for Real?

The magic binds that had been tying me up loosened.

It was circumstantial evidence that my plan to use the snippets of fantasy world information I had picked up from the chief had worked.

In truth, it was a gamble.

But it was also the truth that I didn’t really have another choice.

“Bastard! You tricked me…!”

“That’s what I should be saying!”

The pain I felt was powerful enough to turn lifelong friends into sworn enemies.

I had almost gone insane from trusting the chief when he told me it would be painless and had let my guard down.

[A certain god says it is the outsider’s fault for getting fooled.]

‘Thanks a lot for the candor!’

“Y-you bastard…!”

The chief stepped back as soon as he got hit in the face and was trembling.

My fist hadn’t dealt enough damage.

Was it because the chief’s level was too high?

Was it because he wasn’t human?

Whatever the reason was, I decided to focus on escaping as long as I couldn’t take down the chief.

“That magic doesn’t work anymore!”

Since the promise we had made with black magic to trade lifespans had ended.

“Ha! How dare a mere rookie that barely survived—!”

“Chief. Don’t forget your promise.”

“Kirk!”

I retrieved the blue dagger that was displayed next to various other weapons since I wasn’t a match for the chief with my bare hands.

Next…

“That one.”

I looked around and found the most petite fairy.

Cut-

I cut the ties of a female fairy with long, straight, emerald-colored hair.

“$^*&[email protected]&#$…?”

“Witness acquired.”

I needed a fairy that was trapped in the basement to be a witness in order to explain myself to the villagers because I didn’t know the language.

Wobble~ flop.

However, the fairy, who had been abused for a long time, couldn’t walk by herself.

“$!$#%, %)(@#$ @*$&…”

“Guess there’s no other choice.”

I expected that much trouble anyways. It was why I chose the lightest-looking fairy in the first place.

Plop!

I carried the female fairy on my left shoulder like a bag and ran for the exit of the basement.

“No…!”

The chief wasn’t someone who would just let that slide. It would be over for him if I revealed everything about the basement to the villagers.

“Haha! Hey Chief! You didn’t forget about the promise, did you?”

The contract was absolute

The Chief could only sit back and watch until I saw ‘Misa’.

Of course, there was no way I could see her when she was just a gnoll turd somewhere. 

“Promise? Hmph! All I have to do is surrender the lifespan I got from you and breach it!”

“Oh?! That’s how it works?!”

It turned out there was quite a loophole in the contract that I thought was absolute.

Was he bluffing? I didn’t think so.

Snap. 

I was once again caught by the chief’s magic as I was reaching the basement exit, and I couldn’t move an inch.

“Hahaha! Comrade Kang Hansoo. I’m very disappointed in you, so give up thinking about dying peacefully.”

“…I think it’s a little too early to give up.”

“You’re still speaking nonsense… cough! W-what is this?!”

Plop!

The chief threw up blood and kneeled powerlessly.

I could assume why.

It was because as soon as he repressed my freedom, something in his body flowed out at a rapid rate.

“Chief. What’s this feeling?”

It was as mystical as an aurora from the polar regions.

“N-no! My powers…!”

“Was it your power?”

I had opened my eyes to a new sensory organ that wasn’t there before after going through a terrible black magic spell.

I simply knew…

It was unexplainable.

What a fantasy-esque unfolding.

“I-I can’t believe this! Just what are you?!”

“Human.”

“Impossible! A human can’t be normal after having so much power taken away! Are you the Demon King or something?!”

“I am…”

[A certain god scolds you to not set the mood.]

‘What a rude god!’

I came to a decision.

“I am an apostle of an outsider!”

[A certain god cringes in embarrassment.]

‘I’m happy you’re happy!’

***

Prince Alsus led the heroes aspiring to become shining knights to the banquet hall.

Tada! Twinkle twinkle!

There were exquisite refreshments on every table.

“Wh-what is this…”

“What’s with the snacks and tea?”

“A break as soon as we start?”

The heroes, who had thought they’d be hitting a scarecrow with a wooden practice sword in a dirty training field, were taken aback.

But that only lasted a moment.

“Over here.”

“Please have a seat here.”

“Over there for this hero.”

The knights who accompanied them quickly settled down the fuss as they guided the heroes to their seats.

Prince Alsus raised his glass at the head of the table, shouting,

“Cheers to the heroes who chose the path of a knight!”

“Cheers!”

“Cheers!”

The knights, who sat on the outskirts of the banquet hall, cheered vigorously.

“…”

“…”

Prince Alsus continued with an explanation to the heroes, who couldn’t speak a word due to being overpowered by the heat of the moment.

“I was shocked when I unintentionally overheard your conversations. The unruly training you all are imagining is not real swordsmanship, you see.”

“What?”

“Huh?”

The heroes could only look at each other in confusion.

Seeing that, Prince Alsus stood up from his seat with a smile.

“I will show you a simple demonstration to help you all understand. Commander of the knights?”

“Yessir!”

“Spar with me.”

“It would be my honor!”

A young man who resembled a black bear stalked up to the podium.

“First, I’ll show everyone the swordsmanship you were imagining. Commander, seal your swordsmanship.”

“Yessir.”

The prince and commander of the knights clashed swords like theater actors.”

Clang! Clang! Clang! Clang!

They blocked, dropped, dodged, cut-off…

The battle between the two swordsmen continued frantically without a single moment for breath.

The heroes all thought one thing:

‘That’s clearly swordsmanship…?’

Ping-

The victor of the heated match was the Commander of the knights, who was overwhelmingly bigger.

“It was a stellar sword dance, Commander.”

“I’m flattered.”

Prince Alsus, who had dropped his sword from his hand being cut, complimented the Commander.

By himself…

The prince, who quickly healed his hand with the help of a waiting priest, grabbed the sword again.

“Heroes. Watch closely. This is the swordsmanship you are going to learn. Commander. This time with your full strength, please.”

“It would be my honor!”

The Commander, who had easily overpowered the Prince through size alone, dashed towards him.

But was it any different than before?

Woosh!

Hwip!

White whirlwinds wrapped around the two peoples’ swords.

The blades collided head-on—

Clank-

—and broke.

There was no second collision.

The Commander, who had lost his weapon, spoke while holding only the remaining handle of his sword.

“I lost.”

“Commander, your swordsmanship improved quite a bit.”

“Hahaha! And yet I can’t come close to you, your highness.”

“Please refrain from the flattery, it makes me blush.”

“It is not flattery but the truth. Prince Alsus Swordmastar is the pride of the Knight Kingdom!”

“Oh, you…”

The second match was underwhelming. 

The heroes, expecting a grandiose battle, looked dumbfounded.

“What is this?”

“What just happened?”

“That’s it?”

* * *

* * *

The heroes were slow at processing what had happened because it had been over in an instant. Prince Alsus explained,

“The power to cut out every means of the opponent in one blow! This is swordsmanship. You couldn’t even beat the ironclad cavalry that your country boasts, let alone the Demon King, with seemingly good knife-wielding.”

“Aha!”

“I-I see!”

The cultured heroes from Earth were quick to understand.

In fantasy novels and cartoons, they had always heard stories with prolonged fights that ended with one fatal blow.

But reality was different.

—Efficiency over idealism.

Prince Alsus raised his teacup once more and spoke.

“It seems like you have all understood. Now I will teach you swordsmanship. Please drink, each and every one of you.”

“Blech?!”

“W-what is this?!”

“Tat tat tat!”

The heroes who drank the tea after the prince were all freaked out.

‘What in the world is this flavor?!’

It was like drinking fecal water.

“The Warrior’s Blessing is crucial to acquire swordsmanship. This potion is the fastest, safest way to expedite acquiring the blessing.”

[Warrior]

> you are more than deserving of power after overcoming countless life or death crises. 

> Defeat all the enemies that cross your path with the power of love and justice!

“Ugh…”

“Blech…!”

The heroes understood.

There was no doubt that the taste that was killing their souls, not to mention their tongues, was the ‘brink of death’.

They would’ve rather drunk poison.

“I understand how all of you feel, but do not drool or spit it out. You must get used to this taste to learn swordsmanship in the future.”

“Dear lord…”

“Mother…”

[A certain innocent goddess is curious how it tastes.]

[A certain water god stops their curious friend.]

[A certain god of death watches over in pity.]

Right when everyone became one as they groaned in agony, a boy with a washed-out face cried out,

“Another cup…!”

Empty!

His eyes were half drooping as his cup was completely empty.

His handsome face was contorted and it looked like he had aged at least 10 years.

‘Is he okay?’

As everyone looked at him in concern, Prince Alsus spoke in a slightly admiring tone.

“It will make it a little better if you partake of the sweets in front of you.”

“Oh! Okay!”

“Commander, pour him another glass with respect.”

“Of course!”

The swordsmanship training from hell had officially started.

***

“Chief, if you don’t hold onto me, I’m just going to escape, okay?”

Case closed.

There was no need to call for the villagers and pledge the miserable female fairy as a witness.

“Cough! Kirk…”

It was because the chief, on the ground as he threw up blood, was in such a bad condition.

‘Wouldn’t it be better to cut his level 13 throat and get the exp instead of escaping?’

…Not exactly.

I had those bold thoughts for an instant, but I let go of my greed and chose to safely escape the basement.

“I’ll catch you later then.”

“I’ll never forgive you…!”

“Huh?!”

The nearly dying chief shot up and sprinted towards me at an unbelievable speed.

“Meat! I’ll kill you, you ruined my dreams! I’m turning you into diced meat, no matter what! Meat! Meat…!” 

The Chief wasn’t speaking from his human head.

Spark!

The gnoll’s head attached to his chest was crying out violently, glaring at me with his now-red eyes.

“Holy shit…!”

I abandoned the fairy on my shoulder and rolled onto the floor.

Slash-

His hands swept through my chest, tearing Massa's leather suit, leaving me with a big scar on my abdomen.

‘What’s all this now?’

There was a red jelly clustered on both of the chief’s hands like boxing gloves.

He looked down at me when I was on the ground and spoke with a smug tone.

“Are you surprised? Of course you are! This is swordsmanship that only a gnoll can do! I was saving it to hunt the fairies, but thanks to you—!”

“My bad.”

“H-how?! I could’ve sworn it was a critical hit…!”

The chief was astonished when I got up as if nothing happened.

The wound was already gone.

[Outsider]

“For sure. It was really dangerous.”

I would have died in an instant if it wasn’t for the blessing.

Although the chief had exerted an astounding amount of power by using what was left of his life, it was apparent that he hadn’t thought of what to do next.

“Kirk! You won’t get away with this!”

Having used up all of his power from his last attack, he chose to run away.

However…

“$*(@#, $&*([email protected]# $&*(@&…!”

He failed to do so when the female fairy I hadn’t paid attention to grabbed his ankles.

“Y-you pesty bitch…!?”

Slash-!

I used that moment to cut straight through the chief’s neck with the blue dagger.

Stab-!

I pierced the forehead of the gnoll, whose eyes were still red, and dragged the dagger down perpendicularly.

“Good riddance.”

“Outrageous… Mage… your power… magic… my daughter… your father will…the enemies… I’m sorry… I love y…”

The decapitated chief slowly closed his eyes.

[A certain god says it’s quite a shame.]

“I know, right?”

It looked like it was quite a shame that I survived when they even sent their prayers for me.

Now, then…

“How do I clean this up?”

“&%#[email protected], %&^(*$ $&@#”

“$*&^#$. $*(#)&@$ %*(&$…”

“$)([email protected]#? $)(*# $*&#$”

The fairies took turns speaking after watching the fight without a blink.

‘Thank you, thank you very much, who are you, let me go already, give me back my money…’

I’m guessing that’s what they were saying.

I stoically took off their binds and called the villagers.

Resident A, horrified by what they saw in the basement, called resident B, who was also horrified and called resident C, who also called resident D…

Finally, the neighborhood watchers all crowded in to take care of the situation.

And it seemed like everything was going back to normal.

Until…

“$&*(@!!”

“#*^[email protected]%!”

“I’ll kill you, bastard fairies…!”

Dash!

Once again, I jumped off a cliff after escaping the village.