This World Needs a Hero

HEL SCANS

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It’s been 10 days since the hero left.

During this time, Leciel developed a habit that she couldn’t share with others.

Instead of returning to the dormitory after training, she took a slightly detoured path along the hill.

The open view revealed the research building in the distance.

Well, it wasn’t an extraordinary effort.

It only took about 30 minutes to go back.

‘It’s also good for cardio,’ Leciel thought as she briskly climbed the hill.

As it was late, the place was sparsely populated.

Following the well-paved path and passing through the dense trees, a sparkling night view unfolded before her eyes.

Perhaps due to the upcoming midterm exams, all the research labs were brightly lit—except for one.

The top floor, as always, remained dark.

Considering the hero’s personality, if he returned to the academy, he would undoubtedly head straight to the lab to catch up on pending work.

Yet, it seemed he hadn’t returned yet.

This made Leciel contemplate whether he might miss the next class.

While today’s supplementary lesson from the Principal was interesting in various ways, Leciel couldn’t help but feel annoyed.

“When is he coming back?”

She muttered, kicking a pebble at her feet.

Thwack!

The kicked pebble dug into the base of a poorly placed garden gnome.

“…”

Red eyebrows furrowed together.

Is it even allowed for a professor to be absent for so long during the semester?

Moreover, there was no announcement regarding his return.

Each time she checked the connector, it felt like another wrinkle formed on her forehead.

Due to the complete lack of news, there were even bets among classmates.

Various speculations were raised, and frustrations grew in the absence of any updates.

Some guessed that he received an incredibly secretive mission from the emperor or encountered unexpected issues on the front lines.

Others speculated that he left to manage the Dawn Knights, among other theories.

Leciel paid close attention whenever these stories circulated in the break room, but there was no helpful information.

‘…It’s a dereliction of duty.’

Leciel muttered in frustration.

While she wasn’t originally one to complain, she was genuinely angry.

It was because other Fine arts classes were unbearably dull for her.

She found joy only in extreme classes that provided new challenges and learning experiences.

Yes, that was the sole reason she climbed the hill with tired legs – the hope that the hero would return and provide informative lessons.

Impatience and the occasional burst of frustration stemmed solely from that desire.

Leciel, feeling drained, sighed and sat on a nearby bench before heading back to the dormitory.

Leaning on the backrest, she recalled a memory she had been replaying in her mind for the past few days.

…No, that was a lie.

In reality, she never got tired of it.

“So entrust yourself to me. Wherever your destination may be, I’ll help you develop the strength to reach it.”

“…It’s the responsibility of the one teaching.”

Whenever her mind felt dizzy during training, consciously or subconsciously, she revisited that day and those words.

The golden beach as the sun set, the gentle breeze mixed with the salty sea air, the ashy hair fluttering in the wind, the loose face unlike usual, and the voice that was easy to hear as it spoke.

“Responsibility. The responsibility of the one teaching.”

It was a phrase she had never thought about before.

Upon reflecting on it, it sometimes made her feel relieved, and at other times, it felt like an oppressive weight.

One thing was certain: she didn’t dislike the words.

“…”

Leciel stared into the void for a while, lost in thought.

Lately, her mind has been wandering to unfamiliar places more frequently.

“It’s already time…,” she muttered.

The curfew was approaching, and she decided that one round of restroom cleaning was already enough.

Moreover, it is really undesirable for her to show a pile of penalty points to the hero after he returns.

Leciel hurriedly got up from her chair, only to stop abruptly.

“…Huh?”

A different scene unfolded before her eyes compared to just a few minutes ago.

At a glance, nothing seemed to have changed, but Leciel’s extraordinary observational skills and sensitive senses caught a very subtle difference.

“The lights…,” she murmured.

They were on.

The lights on the top floor of the research lab were shining brightly, resembling a lighthouse.

With her keen observations and sensitive senses, Leciel, standing there in anticipation of the imminent curfew, noticed the warm light illuminating one side of the night sky.

Thump, thump…

‘What is this?’

Leciel quickly dispelled the strange and mysterious emotion.

.

.

.

– Hero is back.

└ Oh, it’s you. The one who always complains about when he’ll come back every day.

└…Nope.

* * *

The hero and Noubelmag, who sent Nyhill separately, entered the Rosengstark estate through the side gate.

[Welcome back!]

Somehow, Yussi knew.

She was standing there, holding a small sign.

“Welcome, hero! I missed you so much… Wait a minute”

She said, smiling broadly at the hero, but suddenly her face twisted

Yussi’s gaze was directed towards Noubelmag sitting behind the hero.

“Eeek, you really brought him? Oh my, he got even grumpier in the meantime.”

Indeed, even though he was covered in a robe up to his chin, she seemed to recognize her colleague in an instant.

At her strong reaction, a thick vein popped on Noubelmag’s neck.

“Still the same old troublemaker, Yussi Glendor.”

“Oh, really? Were you expecting a warm welcome?”

“Not at all. As if I expected a crazy person like you to be in your right mind when you even lost an arm. I didn’t have any expectations.”

In response to Noubelmag’s retaliation, Yussi’s neck muscles also visibly tensed.

“Ha. Ha. Ha. Is it because you’re an old man now that you can’t see this new, fresh arm that I got after going through hell?”

“Well, you still suck at alchemy, that’s for sure. I knew I shouldn’t have expected much from you in that department. I should have let you search for the arm in demon dung back then.”

“…Aaargh! Is this how it turns out if I don’t die on time?”

The hero chuckled.

The two of them growling at each other was quite comical.

‘…They’ve clearly had a grudge for a long time.’

Anyway, Noubelmag, who seemed to have shaken off the gloomy mood, looked more bright.

“Search for it, inspiration.”

“Die first.”

…But if I had left them like this, the reputation of the former Dawn Knights would have fallen to the ground.

The hero waved his hand.

“Let’s move to another place for now.”

“Shall we go to my office?”

“Yeah.”

In the office of the Principal where they arrived, the hero briefly explained the events that had taken place in Lonkers so far.

HEL SCANS

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—————

Yussi, under the Glendor organization, had already received reports and had a rough idea of the situation, but she listened attentively without showing any sign.

“…So, that’s why I brought Noubelmag to the academy.”

“Thank you for your hard work… If there are any colleagues heading that way soon, I’ll make sure to have them stop by Lonkers. They might be short on supplies and relief items, after all.”

She’s quite capable on her own.

The hero nodded in satisfaction.

“Thanks. Has everything been quiet around here during my absence?”

“Yes! Everything has been calm in and around the academy.”

“And the students?”

“They’re all fine. Oh, regarding the reinforcement you mentioned, we focused more on theoretical aspects. I was afraid that if I touched the practical part, it might disrupt your lecture plans, sir.”

“You did well. Thank you for your hard work.”

“Hehe, it’s nothing.”

At that moment, Yussi, who was smiling and nodding, cautiously added a few words.

“By the way, are you well-prepared for the midterm exams? There are only two weeks left…”

“I’ve already planned everything.”

During the tedious horse ride, he had already thought it all through.

“Well, would you mind sharing the details of the plan with me…”

Yussi was a bit nervous.

No matter how much she thought about it, the hero wouldn’t have prepared a standard exam like other professors.

The developments since the beginning of the ‘extreme’ activities after the opening were quite extraordinary.

“I wonder if you’re planning to challenge the students…?”

Continuous and extraordinary practical exercises without a break.

The class budget was dozens of times larger than other classes.

Of course, it wasn’t about the money.

It’s just that the concern about potential casualties was significant.

While Yussi anxiously observed, the hero finally opened his lips.

“I’m thinking of holding an ‘Extreme Midterm Exam’ in the ‘Forest of Martial Arts.'”

“…”

Yussi nodded without saying anything.

Ha-ha.

It was fortunate that she had mentally prepared herself.

The Forest of Martial Arts.

It was a practical training ground feared even by senior students trained in the anti-demon curriculum under Rosenstark.

Taking freshmen there.

If any other professor had presented such a midterm exam plan, Yussi would have probably written a resignation letter on their behalf.

“…Please don’t call the undertaker.”

“Don’t worry. I intend to be thoroughly prepared before that.”

“Thoroughly prepared?”

“We still have two weeks. Let’s use places like the artificial gravity room, individual combat arena, and the Abyss of Paralysis for practice next week.”

Yussi smiled wryly, remembering the cheerful children who had smiled so brightly.

“The kids will love it…”

“Two weeks of fun for them will be enough.”

The hero answered decisively and then turned his gaze to Noubelmag.

“And can Noubelmag arrange lodging and a workshop for a while?”

“…Let’s use an empty house near the marketplace for now. I’ll roughly fill it with the necessary items, so you can stay in the guest accommodation until today. From tomorrow, you can use it. It might not take long for an arsonist to show up, though.”

“And the workshop?”

“It will take several months to properly equip and supply a workshop where Noubelmag can fully demonstrate his skills….”

Yussi, rotating her earlobe with her index finger, threw a casual remark to Noubelmag.

“For now, I’ll provide you with a workshop that was used by a craftsman affiliated with the academy. I’ll also send Professor Eitrobin. If you need anything, just let us know before long.”

“Professor Eitrobin? Who’s that?”

“There’s a professor among us who runs a large mine in his hometown.”

…Eitrobin.

A professor that even the hero remembered.

On the day of the pre-orientation, he was a young professor who struck up a conversation pretending to be friendly, only to be chased away by Yussi.

“I should be able to get most things for you.”

Noubelmag, hearing those words, stroked his beard and smiled contentedly.

“Well, the treatment is better than I expected.”

“Remember, it’s not free; it’s an investment. You won’t be able to step outside Rosenstark until you recover the initial investment.”

“Well, that’s how it is, I guess.”

Noubelmag snarled towards Yussi, chuckled, and then spoke to the hero.

“Anyway. Just to be clear, even if it’s a request from the leader, I can’t hand over my weapons to those riffraff. Do you understand this?”

“I know. But I don’t think my students will disappoint you.”

“Hmm, even the leader says so?”

The hero nodded.

No master would want to diminish the value of his weaponry.

It was common and, at the same time, a stubborn insistence of skilled craftsmen, but it wasn’t a problem.

“The talents of the kids, it’s not at that level yet.”

Of course, even if they had exceptional talent, the majority of them hadn’t bloomed yet.

But the hero was confident.

Confident in the value of the students he had taught, which would surprise even the former head blacksmith of the Dawn Knights.

“First, I’ll find a place for my disciples. Some of them may catch your eye even now.”

“No, there’s no need for that.”

“Why?”

“I’ll just observe your class. Didn’t you say you were going to train them for two weeks? I can see plenty of potential in that time.”

After a moment of contemplation, the hero nodded.

“I’ll inform the kids then.”

As the conversation seemed to come to an end, the hero stood up from his seat.

Yussi followed suit, wearing a puzzled expression.

“Oh? Are you leaving already?”

“I have some things to take care of. I’ll leave Noubelmag’s guidance to you.”

In truth, his mind had been at the ‘Library of Memories’ since earlier.

The hero hurriedly left the principal’s office.

* * *

Noubelmag and Yussi, alone in the principal’s office.

In the awkward atmosphere, Noubelmag cleared his throat and prepared to stand up.

“I’m feeling a bit tired as well. Do you have a place to stay?”

“…Just wait a moment.”

“…Huh?”

But Yussi seemed to have no intention of getting up.

Nouvelle Mag tilted his head and looked at her.

The corners of her mouth turned up awkwardly, and her eyes turned into an equally awkwardly friendly look.

…As an experienced military commander with his years of experience instinctively realized.

“Hehe, is there anything you would like to ask me? It’s a very uncomfortable expression to look at.”

Seeing that playful expression, Yussi gritted her teeth and nodded her head.

This level of teasing was something she could endure.

If Noubelmag could create items well, her long-standing wish would be fulfilled.

“Will you listen to a story?”

…Is she already planning to recover his investment?

Noubelmag chuckled.

“Nothing I can’t handle.”

Clang!

Yussi checked that no one was in the corridor, then locked the door again.

A strange expression appeared on Noubelmag’s face when he saw the thoroughness.

“What on earth is it?”

“A while ago, I got hold of a document left by Zero Requiem’s disciple.”

At the unexpected name, Noubelmag’s face stiffened.

“Zero Requiem’s disciple? He had a disciple?”

* * *

“Has it been almost a month, Mr. Ted?”

…The awkward address of Mister.

I gazed at the ‘magical creature’ in front of me, trying to suppress my emotions.

It goes without saying, but nothing has changed from the last time.

Even if it’s not a month but a year or ten, it will likely be the same.

Rosalyn, among numerous shelves, directed her calm eyes at me.

“It seems I’ve earned the right to access you.”

“Partially… That seems to be the case.”

…Again.

It was exactly the same as the moment when I visited the Library of Memories before, expressing my desire to access Zero’s memories.

The momentary evaporation of vitality.

A ‘different Rosalyn’ exuded an inanimate feeling, and her eyes were calm.

“Then, I hope it will be an enjoyable review.”

The darkening of vision occurred simultaneously.

▼

Accessing the First Era – Part I

▲

And a scene of a type I had never seen in my lifetime appeared before me.

[TL/N: A crazy reveal in the next chap, well some of you might have already guessed it…..]

HEL SCANS

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