Is this Hero for Real?

[Act 6] The Green Pig

I never even carried my beloved parents before. Yet there I was, carrying a male demon on my back through a grass plain.

Of course, I felt like…

“The worst…”

[A certain god suggests just killing yourself.]

[A certain god suggests throwing him to the orcs as orc food.]

The god was favorable in their own way to the demon after listening to his sad story.

But they switched attitudes after I carried him on my back.

I almost thought about it, thanks to the encouragement from the ill-mannered god, but I held back. All that time I spent with the demon would be wasted.

Kogmos complained.

“I also feel like the worst.”

“Why?”

“If word gets out I got help from a low-rank human, I’ll never be able to marry until I die… ”

“Aha! I’ll spread rumors everywhere if you run away later.”

“Are you really human?! How dare you threaten a demon?!”

“I’m a human that almost became a hero.”

‘I wonder how the undutiful children who fell into the goddess’s temptation are all doing.’

It wasn’t my place to worry about them, but I grew sympathy that wasn’t there before after going to the outskirts of the human village.

I couldn’t believe there were no flushing toilets…

[Outsider]

I never needed to use the toilet thanks to being freed from my bodily functions, but it was gruesome to even think about.

“You were almost a hero?”

“Can’t you tell from my status window?”

“I’m asking because I saw your status window. Demons are usually the ones who get the Hero Curse.”

“Huh?”

“Those who run away after losing against a hero get the Hero’s Curse. Realistically, revenge is impossible because it’s hard to level up. That’s why we think of demons with the Hero Curse as dead.”

“How dreadful.”

The “You won’t get away with this!” villain line I saw in fantasy novels and comics full of dreams and hopes had been ultimately blocked out. 

On my back, Kogmos tried to act smart. 

“It’s the reason I decided to help a low human like you. There’s a saying that your enemy’s enemy is a comra—”

“That’s just because you were weak.”

“…”

“Don’t cry. I don’t want to wet my shoulders with male tears.”

I thought my mood was already at rock bottom, but there was something even worse.

The tearful demon spoke.

“You’re the strange one! How did a low-rank human get this much power from a mere fairy Blessing!”

“Hm?”

This guy has some guts. How could he ignore the Outsider’s Blessing in front of god?

He’s definitely getting divine punishment.

[A certain god is uncomfortable.]

[A certain god looks back at the past.]

[A certain god sighs.]

Huh? Hey god?

I thought they would order me to punish this arrogant demon, but he was surprisingly quiet.

The clueless demon kept babbling.

“Or is there something I don’t know about the Outsider Blessing?”

“Believe whatever you want.”

I didn’t realize how uncomfortable it was that my status window was exposed to strangers.

I felt naked.

I had looked past it when the main character in a fantasy genre could see everyone's status windows.

But when I was on the receiving end, I realized the main character was a real asshole!

The demon kept digging his own grave, unaware of my mood.

“I gathered all sorts of information while wandering the world to grow stronger.”

“And?”

“I’ve never heard of the Outsider’s Blessing. Maybe if it was a Curse…”

“Oh, really.”

Of course he’d never heard of it.

I was the first person to introduce Earth’s advanced culture, ‘Outsider’, to this savage fantasy world.

This god was just moved by that and named a Blessing after it.

There was no way it was there before.

“Resets all states… Returns you to the beginning…”

“…”

“Am I misunderstanding this?”

“…”

I didn’t feel the need to respond, so I just kept walking.

And yet, Kogmos the demon didn’t give up and babbled on and on.

“You probably don’t eat or shit thanks to this Outsider’s Blessing. It can’t be possible if you’re an average human.”

“…”

“And you don’t even get tired. Your wounds from the orcs heal immediately, too.”

“…shut up, will you?”

I was feeling worse and worse. My displeasure even went beyond the time my lips were sexually harassed by the female fairy.

And yet, the demon on my back carried on.

“There’s no doubt it’s a conniving Blessing up to this point.”

“Hm…”

I felt a little better after that compliment.

Was that the carrot and stick method?

The demon got to the point.

“But you can never grow if all stats reset.”

“Hm?”

Come to think of it, he was right!

“Then how do you keep getting stronger?”

“I am?”

“…”

“…”

‘Don’t look at me like that. I really don’t know.’

* * *

* * *

The heroes were dispirited after getting utterly defeated by a single level 5 gnoll.

Prince Alsus gathered the hope of humanity, who were wallowing in self-hate, to reassure them.

“Do not worry about it too much. A gnoll’s strength multiplies when it is full. You will be able to defeat it with ease when you reach a higher level.”

“Okay…”

“Okayy…”

Although they resembled a bunch of defeated troops, the heroes’ improvement was glaring.

Level 4 average.

They were strong enough to kill an average gnoll through a pincer attack with ease.

It was fine up to this point…

The commander of the knights gave Prince Alsus a report with a grim face.

“Prince. We couldn’t find a trace of the mercenary who wiped out the gnolls’ habitat.”

The heroes had suddenly run out of gnolls to hunt.

The knights, trying to figure out what happened, found the gnolls’ habitats empty. They had been occupying themselves over the issue for the past two days.

—With very little progress.

“Commander, what have you found out so far?”

“We assumed it was the act of an infamous mercenary this whole time.”

“Right.” 

It was because there were too many gnolls for it to be done by a few skilled men.

“But the experts seemed certain that it was the act of the knights.”

“The knights…?”

“Yes. They said the swordsmanship left on the gnolls’ armor were all the same.”

“…That’s odd.”

The forest entrance was strictly regulated so that the heroes could hunt comfortably.

But an anonymous knight had intruded and destroyed the gnolls’ habitat in a single night?

That seemed realistically impossible.

“It could be a solo culprit… hm…”

Prince Alsus took back what he said.

Everyone had a limit to their stamina. It would be impossible for even Prince Alsus himself, who was called the swordmaster Knight Kingdom’s prodigy.

If it was the legendary hero with countless Blessings, on the other hand…

“…”

Those heroes were in shock after all dying to a single gnoll.

“…Commander. It’s a bit early, but please hurry the preparation so that the heroes can hunt orcs.”

“But the investigation…”

“Entrust it to the information guild. I can't afford to disperse talent as our plans move ahead.”

“Yessir.”

Relaxing his stern face after ordering the Commander of the Knights, Prince Alsus turned back to the heroes.

“We are going to go a bit deeper for the hunt today. As long as you’ve leveled up, it should be like last time…”

Bang!

An unwelcome guest came into the holy place where the heroes were gathered.

Opening the door with force, he strode forward with a beautiful girl by his side.

Normally, he was supposed to be removed and punished by then, but the knights and hierarchs did not move.

The unwelcome guest was a Hero.

“I came after hearing the Saintess had come back to the Temple!”

“…Hero Oh Hanwoo. Please keep your manners.”

“I’m sorry, Prince Alsus! But this girl’s life is on the line!”

Hero Oh Hanwoo. ..

The boy who declared he would move independently came back in two days, and he was making a fuss to let him meet the Saintess.

Princess Ethena, who was staying silent, jumped in surprise at the sight of the beautiful ‘girl’.

“Oh my! You’re…”

“Princess. I am a mercenary now. Although I’m planning to go back to the territory after retiring.”

“The territory? Why so suddenl… oh?!”

“Things happened…”

The girl put on a bittersweet expression as she hid her left arm behind her.

Oh Hanwoo got louder because of that.

“Hurry, the Saintess…!”

“How noisy.”

Through the small back door, the Saintess arrived with hierarchs at her side.

“Saintess! I have a request—kirk!”

Clang! Clang!

She silently observed Oh Hanwoo, who was stopped by her entourage.

[Name] Oh Hanwoo

[Level] 1

[Blessings] Hero F, Mercenary F

[Curses] See Through F

“…Shocking indeed. Still at level 1 with a Curse as well?”

“Th-that’s… I recruited an excellent companion instead!”

Listening to his excuse, the Saintess turned to the so-called excellent companion.

[Name] Ara

[Level] 12

[Blessings] Royal B, Charm E, Warrior D, Mercenary C

[Curses] Student F

[Dividend] –

“A B rank noble Blessing. If she herself isn’t a marquis, she must be the daughter of a duke. However, I don’t know if that alone makes her superior…”

“She risked her life to save me!”

Hero Oh Hanwoo, thought “I knew it!” to himself after hearing she was the daughter of a noble family.

The Saintess looked back at him with an empty face.

“Is the reason you think of her as excellent because of her looks?”

“N-no!”

Oh Hanwoo was taken aback by the blunt question.

“Then what about her is so excellent?”

“Her noble heart…”

“Look around you. You are with at least level 30 knights and hierarchs who would gladly give their lives for humanity’s victory.”

“…”

“I ask again, what is so excellent about her?”

Oh Hanwoo, defeated by the logic, squeezed out an excuse.

“Her potential!”

“I see. She would be a beautiful woman in a few years.”

“Exactl… No, I’m talking about her talents!”

“There are many with that kind of talent around you. During the five days you wandered as a level 1, your friends grew to be level 6. That is talent you couldn’t imagine.”

“…”

Oh Hanwoo looked around him.

Choi Gangmin, Jang Miyeon, Yoo Bora…

They were all laughing at the ‘level 1 Hero’.

Such tremendous humiliation!

The Saintess asked, looking down at him like a rock on the ground.

“Do you still have something to say?”

“Saintess! Aria is my valuable comrade. Please treat her hand!”

Oh Hanwoo spoke his truth with a red face.

This humiliation was nothing as long as he could treat the beautiful girl’s hand…!

“I refuse.”

“What?”

“Before you make a request, prove to me your worth.”

[Special]

Hero Oh Hanwoo’s main character buff did not work on the Saintess.

***

The orcs lived a simple life in groups.

They usually wandered aimlessly, raising cows and sheep, but turned into bandits once they saw a human.

But I was the same way.

Usually, I was a good, cultured citizen, but once I saw an orc…

“Run! Ru—oink?!”

“What is this pig—oiiink?!”

“Pig! Let’s talk things ou—oink?!”

Slash! Slash!

Orcs didn’t call for their friends or neighbors like gnolls did, but they obviously stood out as they ran through an empty plain with nothing to hide themselves.

They’d slaughter humans like wild pigs if they saw them..

So…

“Oooiiink~!”

I slaughtered them neatly.

As that went on for a few days, I unintentionally ended up gathering a bunch of trophies…

“Neigh~”

“Moo~”

“Baah~”

I got a couple of cows, horses, sheep, pigs, and goats the orcs had raised and loaded them with our things.

Including a male demon!

My strides were full of life after getting a load off my body and mind!

[A certain god is at ease.]

Even god!

I could finally breathe now that they weren’t pestering me to kill the male demon.

“By the way, I don’t see any female orcs. Do the chiefs monopolize them?”

“Are you stupid?”

“huhh?”

Demon Kogmos, tied to a black cow’s back, picked a fight with me.

“You’re putting the wives in cruel, hard labor after killing the orcs.”

“What nonsense are you talking about?”

“It’s not nonsense… oh! It’s giving birth right on time. Look over there.”

“Look at what… hup!”

The horse I took because of how plump its belly was suddenly turned flat.

—And a green baby pig came out between its legs.

Plop.

“Waah~!”

“There are no female orcs. Instead, they don’t distinguish female species.”

“Oh, shit…”

Fantasy pigs were incredible omnivores beyond my imagination.