This World Needs a Hero

HEL SCANS

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A little while later.

As the excitement of the fair grew, and the auction was reaching its climax.

Desmond and his party arrived at the airspace above the fairground.

It was as crowded as ants from this altitude.

Desmond concentrated his magic and enhanced his vision.

“The security is stricter than I thought.”

For a moment, he was surprised by the size, much larger than before.

A sly smile appeared on Desmond’s face as he spotted students joyfully wandering around.

“Hey, are you ready?”

His subordinates silently tightened their combat gears.

Through hair tousled by the strong wind, eyes tinted with anticipation for slaughter shone crimson.

“Let’s go.”

Just as Myrmat’s massive shadow brushed directly above the auction building at that moment.

Desmond pulled out several blood-red beads from his pocket and threw them forcefully downwards.

They were high-grade magical bombs provided by the Demon Church.

Kwaaaah-!

Shards of magic scattered in all directions, striking the ceiling of the auction house.

No matter how sturdy the material, it couldn’t withstand an aerial bombardment.

Deafening explosions, disorienting smoke…

Beyond them, faint screams echoed.

In the evidence of the gruesome scene transmitted by his heightened senses, Desmond burst into laughter.

“Hahaha, follow me!”

As Myrmat lowered its altitude, Desmond and his subordinates descended together.

Huuuuung-!

The cloak enchanted with one-time flight magic spread wide, slowing their descent.

Although the magic, intense in magical power consumption, hadn’t fully activated in zero seconds, it was enough to safely land them on the rooftop of the auction building.

Through the holes pierced in the ceiling, the indoor arena turned into a battleground came into view. A satisfied smile crept onto Desmond’s sinister lips at the sight.

Belatedly, guards armed with firearms rushed in from all sides.

“Here you go.”

“…Huh?”

“The remaining payment.”

When did the Demonic church’s messenger join them?

Desmond looked at him with suspicious eyes as he handed over a hefty pouch.

A heavy metallic sound.

“You’re paying the remaining amount now?”

“Yes, indeed.”

But before Desmond could inquire further, the messenger disappeared from sight.

Hurriedly, fearing it might be a fake, Desmond opened the pouch and inspected the gold nuggets.

The imprints were clear – pure gold.

“Haha, hahaha!”

Desmond’s face was dyed with delight.

“Congratulations, sir!”

“Well, well. We must give value for the money.”

He commanded while holding the chain.

“Stick to the plan. Me and the nine of you go down below to have some fun with the noble brats. The rest, handle the guards and create chaos. Treat my juniors well.”

“Hehe, leave it to us.”

A simultaneously creepy grin spread across the faces of the men.

Desmond distributed the assault artifacts and added,

“Don’t let your guard down; hit and run guerrilla style. Even if they are aristocrats, don’t underestimate them. It could be dangerous if we get surrounded. Be cautious and get out of there.”

“Don’t worry, sir! We’ll kill them just right and make our escape.”

“Alright, then let’s meet in 15 minutes.”

After the briefing, Desmond jumped without hesitation through the hole.

His nine subordinates followed.

In the opposite direction, the remaining group encountered guards, and the sharp metallic sounds mixed with curses reached their ears.

They encountered no problem in dealing with the guards after all they were each vicious individuals.

“Well, a few less to worry about.”

Smack!

Thud!

Desmond and his subordinates landed smoothly on the auction stage. The noisy landing caught the attention of everyone in the room.

Auction participants froze, staring at them.

“Hehe… Nice to meet you, wealthy folks.”

Desmond’s sinister eyes scanned the room.

Nobles and rich people, those in the upper echelons of society, always looked the same.

Colourful attire.

Expensive jewellery.

Dignified appearance.

Condescending gazes.

Those who were once within reach but now more loathsome than ever.

They were the objects of his long-held resentment, and now, landing in the auction hall, he reveled in their frozen reactions.

“The auction item for today is…”

With a twisted smile, Desmond grabbed an amplification device lying on the floor.

“Your lives. Shall we call the bidders?”

* * *

About an hour ago.

The material specialist, Rachel Mithras, was like any other merchant, if not slightly more mediocre.

Well, perhaps a bit above average.

Starting as a peddler at a young age, she built a respectable business. Her merchant spirit had grown steadily without a hint of decline.

Surviving in the harsh upper echelons as a young woman was no easy task.

“Taking a brief break. The third act of the auction will begin in 20 minutes.”

“Ugh…”

Rachel stiffly turned her head in various directions.

There were so many remarkable items on display that she couldn’t even capture them all in a single glance.

Regrettably, she hadn’t successfully bid on any items yet.

“As expected of Glendor. Glendor, indeed.”

In reality, her ability to obtain admission to this auction was partly due to luck, as she operated a relatively small-scale market.

The lottery she entered as a formality unexpectedly resulted in a vacancy, granting her the opportunity.

‘Good if it happens, fine if it doesn’t.’

She had entered with that mindset, and luck had favored her with a sudden win.

It wasn’t an official auction conducted by the Auction institution but rather an informal auction hosted by Yussi Glendor.

However, that didn’t make much of a difference.

Various notable figures had gathered.

‘Gaining knowledge! Building connections!’

She had cast aside all her usual duties and devoted herself entirely to this opportunity.

However, the enthusiasm faded momentarily.

‘Ah, darn it. Such arrogant high-noses.’

The giants, as expected, remained indifferent to her.

Despite circling the VIP area during the break, attempting conversation, they completely ignored her.

‘They won’t even look at me.’

HEL SCANS

Join our Discord for release updates!

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—————

No matter how thick-skinned Rachel was, consistent cold shoulders were exhausting.

‘Just wait for five years! I’ll be sitting next to you, grumbling away.’

As the disheartened Rachel was about to return to her seat, the moment she turned her back, the conversation among the VIPs caught her ears.

Typically, every word uttered by the giants held valuable information.

“Ouch.”

Rachel pretended to sit down, feigning numbness in her legs, and perked up her ears.

“By the way, who’s that big guy? Doesn’t look like a merchant…?”

“Judging by his attire, he seems like a mercenary or a freelance knight. Well, it seems the conditions for purchasing admission tickets to this informal auction have been considerably relaxed.”

“Well, having a few spectators adds some liveliness to the atmosphere, doesn’t it?”

“Hoho, you don’t just need someone to marvel at when the bids are called?”

“Hehe, it’s embarrassing for you to look into my dark inner thoughts like this.”

Unfortunately, it was just ordinary gossip.

Rachel glanced briefly at the subject of the gossip.

Clad in a deeply pressed robe, his attire was certainly more shabby compared to the splendid and neat colors worn by others.

Seated in the farthest corner of the auction seats, it was next to her.

‘They must have laughed at me like that.’

Quickly, she needed to earn more.

With that thought in mind, Rachel returned to her seat.

The man still kept his gaze fixed straight ahead, not sparing a glance her way.

Given the conspicuousness of her crimson short hair, it was quite surprising.

‘But, seriously, what a massive figure.’

His hands, protruding conspicuously from the sleeves, looked rough.

The speculations of the VIPs that he lived a rough life and earned his living with physical labor seemed to fit.

Rachel paused for a moment.

‘…Could he turn out to be someone famous if you look closely?’

However, she soon smirked and shook her head.

‘If that were the case, there’s no way he’d be stuck in this corner seat with me.’

Rachel leaned back against the backrest again.

‘Haah, I was hoping he’d be closer to Rosenstark.’

Understanding and profit.

Calculation and computation.

Even for her, who lived in the world of clear numbers, there were remnants of innocence.

Rachel liked the heroes on the front lines.

She admired them for standing outside the realm of understanding.

Initially, she couldn’t comprehend why they chose the thorny path without a clear reward, but eventually, she found herself idolizing them.

Of course, her favorite hero, like many imperial citizens, was the Hero “Ted Redymer.”

‘This guy must be a fan of heroes too.’

You could tell just by looking at the unnecessarily large weapon resting on his back.

Wrapped in thick fabric, it was undoubtedly the shape of a greatsword.

There was a time when many martial artists followed the trend of using giant greatswords, thanks to the hero’s influence.

…Although they disappeared rather quickly, probably because they were challenging to wield.

It seemed this man had hopped onto that outdated trend.

‘Ugh, it’s hard to succeed if you follow the trends.’

The assessment was complete.

Perhaps, like her, this man had luckily managed to participate in the auction.

‘Hmm, how much time is left for the break?’

A strange sense of camaraderie led to a desire to converse.

Rachel confidently pulled out her business card.

“Hello!”

“…?”

“I’m Rachel from Rachel’s Emporium! Although I specialise in materials, I handle everything from weapons to armour and herbs! Anything you need, feel free to visit anytime.”

For the first time today, she didn’t face outright disregard.

“Kasim. Just a mercenary.”

A low and gentle voice.

Rachel noticed that the subordinate, whose hood had failed to conceal his very, very handsome face, was quite, very good-looking.

She felt a little better.

“Nice to meet you, Kasim. Your name is handsome too. But you didn’t bid at all?”

“There was nothing that caught my eye.”

Well, well.

Rachel chuckled inwardly.

“Oh, there were many good items. It’s just that they were too expensive to bid on.”

“Did you have a lot of things you wanted?”

“Well… I failed to win any bids. I just focused on participating. Seeing artifacts sharpens my eye, and it’s not a loss.”

The man nodded in agreement.

“Indeed. The highlight of this auction is definitely worth seeing. Besides, it’s in your field of expertise, ‘materials.'”

“Haha, even if I emptied my entire fortune, I couldn’t afford those items.”

Rachel’s gaze shifted to the last page of the auction catalog.

The characters “Sacred Stone” were written in an elegant font.

The Sacred Stone was a mineral continuously imbued with divine power, possessing the ability to reject impurities.

It used to be quite common, but as the era of the First Age came to an end and humans lost their divine power, items imbued with sanctity became rare.

Even today, despite Rachel’s considerable wealth, acquiring the Sacred Stone was nearly impossible.

The auction item, just by itself, could probably fund the creation of several daggers, yet it boasted the highest starting bid.

“Even if you buy it, it’s not a loss. If you manage to make a finished product, the price will skyrocket several times.”

“A finished product, huh?”

“Well, currently, there are hardly any blacksmiths who can handle it.”

“Is it that difficult to process?”

When her expertise came up, Rachel enthusiastically exclaimed.

“If it’s an imperial blacksmith, it’s possible to process it imperfectly. However, complete processing would be impossible even for most dwarves. Unless it’s that legendary blacksmith who disappeared a few years ago, ‘Noubelmag.'”

The man paused for a moment.

Rachel’s eyes widened.

“You’re not unfamiliar with ‘Noubelmag,’ are you? That legendary blacksmith who used to be a member of the Dawn Knights!”

“…I know. It’s been a while since I heard that name.”

Noubelmag.

The name of the legendary blacksmith, the greatest blacksmith in history, and the equipment manager of the Dawn Knights, a dwarf hero.

He declared sudden retirement about three years ago and disappeared without a trace.

His whereabouts have been unknown ever since.

The man’s eyes narrowed strangely.

“Welcome back, esteemed guests. Auction Session 3! As you all know, the auction for the Sacred Stone is also included in this session. Now, shall we begin!”

With the lively announcement from the auctioneer, excitement began to swirl in the auction hall.

—

Starting bid: 2,000 gold.

Asking price: 150 gold.

It was a sum that would be difficult to gather even if you uprooted an average merchant guild.

However, the current bid had already exceeded four times the starting bid.

Rachel couldn’t believe that one of the people continuing this crazy rally was the man sitting next to her.

“Customer #1, 8,450 gold! 8,450 gold! We have a bid…”

“Oh! Customer #189 bids 8,600 gold! The bid is 8,600 gold!”

The man next to her showed a nonchalant attitude, only raising his placard.

There was only one competitor.

A middle-aged man sitting right in the center of the VIP seats.

From what she heard earlier, he seemed to be a representative of some count.

‘W-Who on earth is he…?’

He was looking at her with eyes filled with disbelief.

Judging by the way his hand holding the placard gradually lowered towards the ground, he seemed to have surpassed the maximum bid limit he could afford.

With a trembling voice, Rachel whispered, “Th-This isn’t a reckless bid, right?! It could be a real problem if so.”

“No need to worry.”

Rachel gave him a skeptical look from head to toe.

‘His attire is just plain ordinary. Does he have a separate employer? Wait, does Glendor not check the ability to pay?’

As the on-site manager of this auction, Simon would definitely not doubt the Hero’s ability to pay. But Rachel, unaware of this fact, was merely curious about the man’s identity.

“8,600 gold! 8,600 gold!! Is everything alright? I will now conclude the bidding at 8,600 gold!!!”

The VIPs, who had ignored them until now, had no intention of looking away.

However, the man’s reaction was dry.

He nodded as if satisfied, and that was it.

Rachel, staring at him blankly, chuckled.

“Congratulations, Kasim. If you happen to have any scraps while processing it, make sure to sell them to me.”

“…….”

Rachel felt a bit uneasy.

She thought her greeting was witty, but Kasim didn’t even look at her.

His head was slightly tilted upward, moistening the top.

‘…Where are you looking? At the ceiling?’

But Rachel soon realized that something was strange.

Kasim’s chin visible beneath the hood was tense.

The hand holding the placard seemed to exert an unusual amount of force.

‘…What’s going on?’

The alert in her mind went off right then.

“Hey! Kasim! Why are you…”

She couldn’t even finish her sentence.

Kwa-ga-ga-ga-ga-!

A vibration so strong it made her body tremble.

A collapsing noise filled her ears.

Rachel, realizing something was wrong, screamed and instinctively lowered her head.

HEL SCANS

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