This World Needs a Hero

HEL SCANS

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It’s authentic.

While Desmond may have been nothing more than a criminal, his keen eye for recognizing valuables stood out, thanks to numerous experiences in theft and robbery.

He knew what to look for to sell at a good price.

‘No doubt about it.’

The warmth that could gently warm the surroundings just by being brought out.

The pure white light, unparalleled by any other ore, was a distinctive feature of the Congealstone that no other mineral could imitate.

Desmond’s eyes quickly filled with greed.

‘With the payment received from the Demonic church and the loot from these nobles, adding this Congealstone…’

‘I don’t have to divide the shares anymore since all my subordinates are already dead. ‘

Beyond the lawless territory.

Even after buying a massive fortress, there will still be some money left over.

It was an opportunity to redeem his long-suffering life from the past.

The Hero spoke again.

“I’ll say it again. Let them go. Then I’ll give it to you.”

“Well, there’s also the option of killing you and taking it.”

“…”

“well. If I run away like this, you’ll be very disappointed, right?”

Desmond thought for a moment and then laughed.

‘It looks like you’re planning on fighting me.’

Okay, let’s get to the tune of that idiot who wants to be a hero.

He gestured to the dozen or so nobles behind him.

“Get out.”

Either way, leaving this place would lead to another confined space.

Once he seized the Congealstone, he could just kill them all.

“Let’s, let’s go.”

“Darling, this way…”

The hesitant nobles cautiously began to move, eyeing the surroundings.

In truth, they didn’t quite understand the situation at the moment.

However, one thing was certain—they were in the midst of a man with a shabby appearance trying to save them.

Exchanging a Congealstone that was won at the auction for a high cost, for the cost of their lives.

“…”

Unable to express their gratitude out loud, they looked at the warrior with an indescribable gaze, and one by one, they started to leave.

Desmond, who had been glaring at them with a tilted head, shifted his gaze to the warrior as they departed.

“Place the Congealstone on the floor.”

“Sure.”

“From now on, every time one leaves, you take a step back.”

“Understood.”

The Hero complied willingly.

… Eight.

Five.

Three.

One.

As the warrior moved farther away from the Congealstone, Desmond’s smirk grew more pronounced.

Finally, with only the two of them remaining in the lounge, Desmond slowly turned his attention forward, alert to any potential threats, and approached the Congealstone.

Clang-

On his way, he didn’t forget to magically lock the exit latch.

Meanwhile, the warrior remained motionless.

Thunk!

Desmond gazed at the Congealstone in his hand with a face full of joy.

It was the key to changing his life.

The moment felt like his heart would leap out of his throat.

Rolling.

Rolling.

Something spherical rolled towards him.

“…?”

It resembled the ‘Mana Bomb’ artifacts that he had personally distributed to his subordinates before entering the auction house.

“This guy-!”

Desmond, wide-eyed, stared at the warrior.

‘This madman!’

Despite the spacious lounge, it was still an enclosed space.

Once these Mana Bombs detonated, they would release hundreds of streams of magic in all directions, tearing everything nearby to shreds.

Even if one bomb might not be noticeable, if several exploded simultaneously, no matter how skilled someone was, they wouldn’t survive.

‘Will this auction house collapse as well?’

Wasn’t he trying to save people?

Thunk!

Desperately turning away to create distance from the bombs, something fell in front of him, tracing his trajectory.

It was the ‘Mining Mana Adhesive Bomb’ that had been auctioned for around 300 gold.

“This bastard…”

Kwaaaaaaaang!

Light and noise swept through the lounge.

In that fleeting moment, as magical shrapnel shot toward him, the warrior muttered,

“Dispel.”

Bright light poured down over the magical fragments.

—

Five minutes before the auction house raid.

“Really… an unbelievably miraculous stamina.”

Ban mumbled unconsciously, grabbing his aching legs.

They had just finished three hours of shopping and sightseeing.

Fortunately, now they could find a roadside tavern to sit down.

‘How does she do that?’

His eyes, showing signs of fatigue, were still fixed on Evergreen, who seemed lively as ever.

For some reason, she appeared to gain more energy as time passed.

It was something Ban had never encountered before.

“Huh? What’s up?”

“It’s nothing… but why did you buy so many gifts?”

“Oh, they’re not gifts. They’re things people asked me to buy for them.”

Smiling cheerfully, Evergreen paused for a moment, lifting her shopping bags.

“Did I drag you around too much?”

“It’s okay…”

Ban replied, feeling a considerable sense of exhaustion, as if he had undergone intense training.

He sighed, leaning back against the seat.

And come to think of it…

‘Why isn’t Luke complaining?’

Initially, Luke kept muttering something, but he had been quite silent during the latter half of the shopping spree.

Even now, he was just staring at his glass without saying a word.

Ban wondered.

Suddenly something caught his attention.

Luke’s eyes, which were always sharp, seemed strangely relaxed as they were fixed on Evergreen.

He closely followed her every move, and there was a certain depth of curiosity in his dark, enigmatic eyes.

Fortunately, the person involved seemed to not notice it, as Evergreen continued to be blissfully unaware.

Perhaps even the person themselves might not be aware that they are looking at Evergreen with such eyes.

‘Well, they’re young.’

Thoughtful, Ban decided not to point it out.

“Cheers! Let’s drink!”

Evergreen’s words were followed by the clinking of two beer glasses and one whiskey glass.

Luke had the whiskey.

For some reason, despite rejecting the beer and ordering a solo drink, he sat there with a slightly wrinkled expression, occasionally sipping the glass…

The only one smiling at unexpectedly increased sales was the cheerful owner of the refreshment stand.

‘Ah, it’s fine.’

Ban turned his gaze towards the bustling street, filled with the fragrance of flowers, swaying amidst the lively crowd.

‘When was the last time I had fun with friends like this?’

It felt like it had been ages since he left secondary academy.

It was truly an enjoyable day.

In the midst of the hustle and bustle, there was no sign of anyone looking gloomy or sad.

Ban, who had spent his childhood in a place with exactly the opposite atmosphere, found joy in this space itself.

‘…It’s nice to have gotten a bit closer with the others.’

If only every day could be like today.

‘Quaaaang!’

Ban felt like he had woken up from a dream as an unusual sound echoed.

It was from the direction of the auction house.

“Whoa, what’s going on?”

“Explosion sound?”

Evergreen, too, jumped up as if shocked.

Even the passersby on the street were looking around with puzzled faces.

“Did you guys hear that just now?”

“Yeah, was it fireworks?”

“It’s still daytime. Fireworks are usually at night, right?”

“Then what was it? It seemed to come from the auction house.”

No one could have guessed that Desmond dropped a bomb from the sky, and, unfortunately, the main auction building, the epicentre of the explosion, was obscured by various tents and decorations and not clearly visible.

However, the rising smoke was becoming more noticeable, and the commotion grew.

“Something seems to have happened!”

“Oh… the VIPs are probably over there. What about their rescue?”

“I don’t know. The security will handle it, I guess. Wanna go check it out?”

“Let’s go, let’s go.”

Most were just excited, curious eyes, but some were feeling something off and remained vigilant.

Their commonality was their uniform—students from Rosenstark.

“Just now…”

The kids looked at each other as if they had made a silent agreement.

Luke was the first to speak.

HEL SCANS

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—————

“This isn’t an accident.”

“Huh…? Then what is it?”

“It’s an attack.”

Luke had already drawn his short sword, making a sharp sound.

The surrounding merchants looked at him strangely due to the untimely noise.

“Oh my, what are those students doing something dangerous?”

“Hey, students, put away your weapons!”

Regardless, Luke muttered curses under his breath.

“Damn, I only brought a backup weapon.”

His primary weapon, the pike, had been sent for repairs after the recent outing where it got damaged.

Regretfully, he had lightly armed himself, thinking there wouldn’t be any trouble near the academy.

“Wait a moment!”

Suddenly, Luke, now fully geared up with tightened armor straps, finished preparing for battle.

Ban hastily questioned him, “An attack? What do you mean? How do you know?”

“The explosion. It was a rather rare type of bomb.”

He identified the type of explosion in that instant?

Ban and Evergreen looked at him with skeptical expressions.

“…”

However, they were aware of Luke’s extensive experience as a mercenary.

He might have made life-and-death judgments on the battlefield several times.

They couldn’t dismiss his words lightly.

“Ah! I don’t know!”

“Hey, hey! Is this true!?”

Evergreen strung her bow, and Ban unsheathed his sword in response.

“Oh my, guards! Come and see here!”

“What’s wrong with those guys? Professors were there a moment ago; shouldn’t they report this?”

“Sorry!!!”

The kids quickly left the scene.

Behind a relatively deserted booth, Ban lowered his voice and whispered,

“S-so, someone attacked the auction house? But the professors were there….”

“Yeah. The auction house should be fine.”

“Oh.”

Understanding Luke’s implication, Ban and Evergreen fell silent.

The attack was directed at the auction house.

The reason wasn’t clear, but it likely had to do with the valuable items present there.

However, that didn’t guarantee the safety of the central hub where they were.

In this vicinity, there were plenty of targets for plunder.

A chilly silence pervaded the surroundings.

Ban was contemplating whether to evacuate unarmed civilians first when suddenly, a sharp, metallic sound echoed.

Whirrrrrr—!

Unexpectedly, a projectile was hurtling through the air right behind Evergreen.

A metal object with a clinking sound… an axe?

“Evergreen!”

Without much thought, Ban drew his sword, but the angle of the attack was not something he could easily fend off.

His expression twisted in concern.

Fortunately, Luke, reacting to the boy’s shout, threw himself forward.

Clang!

Managing to defend against the attack in an unstable posture, Luke staggered a few steps backward.

The blade of his short sword was trembling, as if on the verge of breaking.

“Luke!”

Evergreen rushed to support him.

Blood trickled from the torn hilt.

Simultaneously, a cold rage flickered in Luke’s eyes.

“What, what’s going on!? Are you okay?”

“Look ahead! Never take your eyes off the front!”

“Uh, okay. Got it.”

Whirrrrrr— Chin!

The thrown axe rebounded into the air, drawing everyone’s attention.

Beyond the stacked boxes rose high, behind which…

The children’s gaze naturally followed the source of the sound.

Behind a tall stack of boxes, a shadowy figure gripped a handle menacingly.

Soon, a gruff voice filled with gravelly tones reached their ears.

“Ergh, damn it, so annoying. I need to get this over with quickly,” muttered a man in an incomprehensible manner, complaining about something.

Rumbling sounds echoed—flames erupted from the street the children had just left.

It wasn’t a small fire.

Despite the bright daylight, the sudden blaze illuminated their surroundings.

Unusual heat and smoke enveloped the area, and screams and shouts echoed in all directions.

“Kyaaaah!”

“What, what is it!? Fire!”

“Who, who is it! Who’s wielding a sword!”

“Guards! Guards! Over there! Be careful!”

“It’s an attack!”

Too much happened in the blink of an eye.

Luke sharply rebuked his fellow comrades who were standing there with a bewildered expression.

“Get a grip. Make a wrong move, and you’ll die.”

“No, even if you don’t make a wrong move, you’ll die. All of you.”

The assailant revealed themselves behind the boxes.

Nokish eyes gleamed between messy blond hair, and in an instant, the figure’s foot dug into the ground.

Splat!

Evading Evergreen’s arrow effortlessly, the assailant rapidly closed the distance.

Flipping their body, they swung two axes simultaneously.

Tricky trajectories that required a quick response.

Ban and Luke, concentrating intensely, managed to fend them off.

“Argh!”

Luke successfully parried the incoming axes with his shortsword in a narrow escape.

However, Ban, with the manifestation of his “symptoms,” couldn’t exert full strength.

He was sent flying.

The assailant chuckled and swung the two axes again towards Luke.

Since their targets were different, the short sword couldn’t effectively counter the dual attacks.

Luke rolled backward, avoiding the strikes.

Thud, thud!

Over the mud-caked ground, beyond tangled hair, the grinning assailant came into view.

‘This guy.’

Fast and powerful, the adversary was formidable.

However, there was a moment of complacency, as if looking at a child, that infuriated Luke.

‘Damn it.’

It wasn’t just anger at being underestimated; there was a deeper self-loathing.

Luke understood the nature of this emotion well—self-disgust.

Even if he had entrusted his primary weapon for repairs, he should have at least carried an alternative.

Have you forgotten your fundamentals just because you got into trouble with kids your age at the academy for a few months?

There was nothing to say even if he died right now.

The disdain for himself was palpable.

What would the Mercenary King say if he witnessed this?

What about his subordinates who died by his hands?

Even after personally breaking their skulls, he couldn’t shake off this foolishness!

‘I can’t be eaten alive by a problem like this. This is nothing.’

With the shortsword reversed, Luke lowered his stance.

His combat style strictly followed the instincts: ferocity and ruthlessness were essential.

He needed to display a savage resolve, biting into the opponent’s vulnerability to protect his territory.

“Ha, this brat sure knows how to fight for his life.”

With the changed momentum, the assailant also hardened his expression.

Thunk!

Luke’s calf swelled as if it would burst, and his body instantly plunged into the arms of the assailant.

The explosive movement shook the assailant’s pupils.

Clang!

Responding to this, an axe swung from top to bottom.

Luke managed to deflect it with his shortsword, even though it was impossible to completely dodge due to the thin blade.

It made a slicing sound as the axe passed over Luke’s forehead, leaving a gash and blood flowing freely.

Yet, with his eyes wide open, Luke focused on the remaining path of the other axe.

Horizontal swing!

Pretending to make a mistake, Luke presented his chest to the axe’s trajectory.

“Hahaha, die!”

“Nonsense.”

“What the…!?”

The assailant was bewildered.

He naturally thought this kid wouldn’t read the attack.

Swoosh!

Thud–

Just as the axe rebounded, Luke swiftly rotated his body, guiding the axe toward the assailant’s square.

Thunk!

Deeply piercing like a stab, Luke’s shortsword found its way.

The reversed grip allowed for an angle that could strike even in the unstable posture during the rotation.

Subsequently, spinning like a top, he carved a mark on the back of the femur with the hilt.

The shortsword plunged deep into the groin.

Thanks to the reversed grip, even in the unstable posture during the rotation, it was possible to stab at an angle.

Continuing the spin like a spinning top, Luke left a mark on the back of the femur.

The pace of the attacks was extremely fast and dazzling.

“Aargh!”

Unable to endure, the assailant dropped to one knee, still swinging the axe in an X shape towards Luke.

If he had let his guard down, he would have been hit.

However, the boy was no longer there.

Suddenly, the sensation was felt again directly in front.

At the same time, excruciating pain surged from the armpit.

“AAAGHHH!”

The shortsword pierced through the left armpit, penetrating the shoulder entirely.

While still on one knee, the howling assailant’s neck was twisted by Luke.

The boy’s mouth rose vertically.

“This is your reward for daring to underestimate me, Luke Selsood!”

Evergreen, who had been marvelling at the incredibly fast and precise attacks, felt a bit embarrassed at Luke’s self-assured remark.

However, before they could rejoice in their victory….

“…!”

A sense of impending danger filled the air, and the children quickly turned around.

There were numerous approaching figures.

HEL SCANS

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