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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 229
The Hero returned to the safe house where Mother Ghost awaited.
She, proficient in curses, immediately noticed the transformation on the Hero’s body upon facing him, and he found himself on the sickbed for examination under her scrutiny.
“Stay still.”
Mother Ghost’s eyes carefully scanned the Hero’s body.
Though invisible to the Hero’s eyes, it seemed clear to her that the curse was discernible.
However, as time passed, confidence faded from Mother Ghost’s expression.
“Why is that?”
“…It seems I cannot clearly decipher the curse’s content at my level after all.”
“It’s the curse laid down by Theo’s avatar, so it won’t be easy.”
“How’s your condition?”
The Hero shrugged.
“Seems better than I expected. Nothing out of the ordinary.”
“That’s even more concerning. It must be a powerful curse, likely utilizing Ivar’s grudge as a medium…”
“It might be of no use for beings like me.”
The condition of the body was surprisingly good.
Despite feeling a bit sluggish and having a headache, it was just the aftermath of intense combat.
To the Hero’s perception, Theo’s curse seemed to have no effect at all.
But there was no sign of relief in Mother Ghost’s expression.
“It might be a type that requires a specific manifestation time. Or perhaps it’s a type that affects the mind rather than the body.”
“Anyway, it seems your abilities can’t undo the curse.”
“That’s correct. However…”
“However?”
Mother Ghost hesitated for a moment.
“There is a way to transfer the curse.”
“…Is that possible?”
“Of course, complete transfer is impossible. Given that it’s such a high-level curse, the success rate is not very high. But it’s better than leaving it be.”
The Hero was incredulous and chuckled.
“Who would you transfer such an unknown curse to?”
“Anyone.”
Mother Ghost replied with a serious face.
“Anyone who’s willing. Even a newborn, if need be. Your safety is worth it, Hero.”
The Hero nodded.
“Even if they are hardened criminals. Or…”
“Or?”
“You could help.”
It was a joke thrown out purely.
But…
“Shall I prepare the ritual?”
Mother Ghost said without hesitation.
The Hero sighed in resignation.
“Fine.”
“Yes.”
She was also partly joking.
But there was certainly sincerity within.
The Hero looked at Mother Ghost with narrowed eyes.
…It was natural for her to go to such lengths for his safety.
If he couldn’t function properly as a Hero, her precious things would crumble.
But seeing her take the curse so easily, it seemed that among those precious things, ‘herself’ was not included.
‘If Nyhil; had been left alone, would it have been like this?’
Mother Ghost, noticing the Hero’s gaze, smiled professionally.
“…Anyways, thorough preparation is needed for the curse transfer. I’ll prepare as quickly as possible. Of course, as you mentioned, the target would be a heinous criminal.”
“Got it.”
Her smile gets a little deeper.
“It’s good in many ways that you’re different from your predecessor.”
“Predecessor…”
“He wouldn’t have accepted any method I proposed.”
A faint smirk played on Mother Ghost’s lips.
Ted had many more stubborn edges than the current Hero.
Unintelligible stubbornness, you could say.
That’s why they clashed in many ways.
‘Yet this Hero seems to understand.’
Mother Ghost found the new Hero much to her liking.
If they cooperated well, it could be a good win-win relationship for a while.
…But who knows how it will end in the end.
“Anyway, it’s fortunate in many ways.”
“Fortunate?”
“You’re much more powerful and capable than I expected. I never thought you’d catch Ivar so quickly.”
…It was thanks to both skill and luck.
But the Hero didn’t feel the need to explain further.
Giving Mother Ghost a sense of his competence was a gain, not a loss, and definitely not a lie.
He got up from the bed and said.
“I’ll also look for a way to help.”
“You seem to have faith.”
“Somewhat. If I do well, you may not need to go through the trouble.”
He had artifacts that could exert divine power, and the favor of the gods.
In addition, there were Larze and Rosalyn, who had vast knowledge of magic and sorcery.
In fact, he wasn’t particularly worried about a curse not even laid by Theo’s true self.
Mother Ghost bowed deeply.
“I hope so.”
The Hero nodded and sat at the table.
There were other things to discuss besides the curse.
There was something else to discuss besides the curse.
‘Another traitor….’
In fact, upon reflection, there had been an opportunity to discover their existence in advance.
It was through Laplace’s prophecy received a few months ago.
“If you don’t complete the seasons within 18 days, you’ll die at the hands of a traitor of the Dawn Knights. Along with some of your disciples.”
Until recently, the Hero had thought that the prophecy had missed its mark.
‘I thought the traitor referred to Ivar.’
Ivar had not shown himself to them throughout the northern campaign.
Later, it turned out he had been skulking near the southern region due to injuries from Dorempa.
But how could he, being in the north, pose a threat to the Hero and his disciples?
‘…But it wasn’t him.’
Another traitor.
If they existed, only then would the prophecy come true.
‘If I hadn’t completed the ceremony within Laplace’s deadline, it would mean another traitor had harmed me and my disciples.’
Therefore, the recent prophecy also became a clue.
‘There aren’t many people who fit that description.’
At the time of the prophecy, most members of the Dawn Knights had joined the Eastern Alliance.
That is, there were few members left in the Western Continent.
‘Even if we include retired members, the number isn’t that high.’
Someone with enough strength to threaten him and his disciples.
At the same time, someone who had been near the northern region.
By deducing with these conditions, it was a matter of time to identify the suspects and pinpoint the traitor.
The Hero relayed such explanation to Mother Ghost.
She nodded slightly in admiration.
“We’ve almost identified the whereabouts of the members. I’ll tidy up soon and report back.”
There was no dreadful anxiety or sense of crisis like before.
The next traitor could be dealt with directly, thanks to his confidence.
‘I’ve fully mastered Horizon.’
Fully opening the Fifth Form was a tremendous boon.
The mastery of the fastest swordsmanship, Fifth Form Horizon.
But what was most notable was having the Sixth Form within reach.
The Sixth Form, Star Pole, was the grand culmination.
If one reached the level of implementing the Sixth Form, there would be no one to rival except for “The Old Three” and “The Demon King.”
Joining the Eastern Alliance and pushing the Demon Invasion in earnest was now possible.
This was a much faster growth rate than the Hero had anticipated, and it was a definite sign of hope for humanity.
‘Whether it’s a traitor or whatever, as long as we skillfully restrain their machinations and steadily raise our progress, we’ll be fine.’
If the suppression of the Demon Invasion accelerated, naturally, the return of the Demon King would be delayed.
In the midst of feeling that the end of this protracted war was in sight, the Hero was very pleased.
…It was too early to conclude, but perhaps what pleased him most was the possibility that the children would not be sent to the battlefield.
“You probably also know that the injured members of the Dawn Knights are coming to Rosenstark. Although the probability of them being traitors, who were fighting in the Demon Invasion, is low… it would be good to pay more attention to the protection of the children just in case.”
“Yes, it’s a matter of concern, so we’ll send more agents. I’ll finish up the rough preparations and head to the academy.”
The Hero nodded satisfactorily.
“Good. It seems everything is roughly sorted out.”
Without delay, the Hero headed outside.
Rest was a luxury in the current situation.
He planned to return straight to Rosenstark.
‘…The parents’ invitation event is just around the corner.’
As a Hero, his tasks were all done.
It was time to resume his role as a teacher.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
——————
.
.
.
“Oh, by the way.”
The Hero, who had returned, looked at Mother Ghost with a puzzled expression.
She felt a sense of unease for some reason as she faced him.
“Why are you doing that?”
“Did you finish the unfinished request for the mercenary group I assigned you earlier?”
“Ah… Are you referring to finding that adulterous couple?”
“Did you finish it?”
A rare hint of embarrassment crossed Mother Ghost’s face.
“Not yet. Because most of the resources were invested in Ivar….”
The Hero chuckled.
“Finish it and come back.”
Thud-
Mother Ghost stared blankly at the closed door of the safe house.
“…Isn’t that suspicious?”
It was a valid suspicion.
* * *
– Rosenstark Communication Room
As the parent invitation event approached, the communication room, which had been deserted for a while, began to bustle again.
Leciel also visited the communication room after a long time.
It was because her grandmother had decided to attend the event.
“……”
[……]
Thud-
The sound of the carriage rocking echoed through the crystal bead.
Her grandmother was already on the Rosenstark-bound carriage, approaching this place.
Leciel looked at Zion with a slightly uncomfortable expression.
‘It’s been a few months since our last communication.’
After the commotion in the north, Leciel had been severely reprimanded by her grandmother.
[How dare you do such a reckless thing, knowing what happened to your father!]
Honestly, it was a bit disappointing.
To scold without knowing the tremendous martial arts confrontation she had against the Demonic Church Leader was frustrating.
But there was a slight difference from before… it didn’t hurt as much.
‘…Strange.’
…Grandmother’s acknowledgment.
Until the beginning of the semester, Leciel had been very thirsty for it.
But not anymore.
From the Hero, from her friends, from other professors.
She had received plenty of acknowledgments.
Of course, their acknowledgment didn’t immediately resonate with her.
But as everyone’s presence settled within her, their acknowledgment also began to quench Leciel’s thirst.
The filled void.
Of course, she still wanted acknowledgment from her grandmother and wanted to boast about her achievements.
…Just less so.
Even now, with her grandmother coming to Rosenstark, Leciel felt surprisingly calm.
Leciel spoke almost unintentionally.
“Well, you don’t need to go through the trouble of coming.”
Zion Hiyashin’s face momentarily turned strange at those words.
[Don’t say things you don’t mean.]
…But really.
Leciel let out a light sigh.
‘Anyway, she’s probably not coming to see me.’
She probably intended to meet the professor.
Was there any reason for her to be interested in Leciel’s education now?
“…It’s too far to Rosenstark.”
[I’m retired. I have plenty of time.]
“Ah… Yes.”
[And, you don’t know, but there are a lot of people in Rosenstark that I was close friends with in the past. Like Professor Labin…]
“Ah, I see.”
She didn’t know.
Because it wasn’t said.
Silence again.
Zion’s face became increasingly strange as she watched Leciel, who seemed to be lost in thought.
She unusually spoke first.
[By the way, how’s life at the academy? You don’t talk much anymore.]
“Ah, it’s hectic and busy, recently preparing for requests and invitation events…”
Leciel stopped herself from saying more.
Why bother rambling on when she wasn’t really curious, just asking out of formality.
“Anyway, there’s nothing to worry about.”
[……]
Zion was clearly taken aback.
Leciel’s pupils also widened in response.
…What’s with that expression?
[By the way, you don’t say that anymore, do you?]
“Say what?”
[That… aspiration to surpass Ted, to return the title of ‘Master of the Sword’ to Hiyashin. You always used to talk about it.]
Leciel chuckled.
“You said it wouldn’t happen anyway.”
[……]
“But I’m still trying my best. The professor said I’ll definitely achieve it.”
In her calm tone, even Zion hesitated slightly.
[Ted seems to have changed you quite a bit.]
Leciel nodded slowly at that.
It was an undeniable fact.
“Desiring acknowledgment itself is not a bad thing. It drives us forward.”
“But there is a need to control and cleverly utilize that desire.”
“Don’t be swayed by others’ evaluations. You’re sturdy. You don’t need to be a reed swaying in the wind.”
If she doesn’t change despite receiving such advice, it’ll be even stranger.
The moment Leciel’s expression changed was then.
“Oh.”
[Why are you like this?]
“It’s time.”
[Time? Already?]
Leciel shook her head.
There was still plenty of time before the end of the usage hours.
The work-study student in the communication room usually extended the usage time from one hour to three hours when Leciel came alone.
But it was for another reason.
“I have an appointment.”
She had agreed to take charge of producing some props (mostly drawings) for the upcoming event.
Ban, thinking it would be a waste of Leciel’s talent, proposed it to the administration, and the administration staff gladly approved it.
It was one of Leciel’s most anticipated times recently.
“Well then, see you soon, Grandma. Please take care.”
Leciel quickly got up to organize her belongings.
Thud-
Zion Hiyashin just watched the girl’s retreating figure with bewildered eyes.
.
.
.
“I won’t be late.”
Leciel, running to the studio, checked the clock tower in the center of the garden before slowing her pace.
Thanks to her rush, there was still plenty of time left.
The production of props involved not only her but also “Beatrice” from the Department of Mysticism (which made drawings move), so there was no point in going alone.
‘Should I stop by the lounge?’
It was the moment Leciel was about to turn back.
“…Hello, are you a first year student?”
An unfamiliar voice called out to her.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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