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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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Chapter 241
The first three seconds were eerily quiet.
Then, suddenly, the sound of inhaling breaths filled the air.
After that, it was so noisy that I couldn’t make out much.
If I weren’t in the position of a Hero, I would’ve surely blocked my ears.
“What suddenly…?”
“Yes?”
“N-No, you’re joking, right!?”
“…Lies!”
Numerous questions and shouts.
Some even rose to surround the Hero.
The shifting gazes were fixed on him, hardly moving at all.
It seemed as if they were just waiting to confirm it was a lie.
…It was several minutes before the Hero could continue speaking.
“Is it all over?”
“…Leader.”
Even Dante, with a lost smile, looked at the Hero with a pale face.
Ted probably didn’t even see Dante stripped of his usual laughter.
“That joke just now? Your joking skills are still dreadful.”
“I wish I could say the same.”
“…Leader!”
Confirmation of the statement.
Expectant eyes, hoping against hope, turned back to the ground as the gunfire continued.
The Hero continued calmly.
“Let me explain. During the process of defeating the Demon King, I sustained irreversible injuries.”
“W-What kind of injury is it?”
In response to Yussi’s question, the Hero replied promptly.
“I’ve nearly depleted all my life force.”
“Oh…”
“I hope you understand. It was difficult to achieve victory against him without any consequences.”
There was no reply to any of the questions.
Some seemed to be holding back tears, while others stared blankly at the Hero, as if unable to believe.
One thing was certain: no one believed that his bombshell statement was a lie.
“Leader.”
Taylor raised her head and looked straight at the Hero.
Tears welled up in her remaining eye.
“You said soon. Exactly how much time do you have left?”
The Hero stated the deadline he had in mind.
“I might last for a year if it’s fast, maybe 2 or 3 years if it’s long.”
In an instant, conflicting emotions swept through the members.
A sense of relief that the remaining time wasn’t too short.
Yet, a sense of despair knowing the end was foreseeable.
Amidst the whirlwind of emotions, there was no one who could maintain composure.
“S-Sorry…”
White sword, Iira, couldn’t hold back her tears.
It was heartbreaking to see her struggle desperately to hold back the tears.
“Is there… no way… to extend the time?”
“…I’ve looked into it, but it’s best not to get your hopes up.”
She collapsed, wailing uncontrollably.
Her behavior seemed overly informal in front of the Hero, but no one stopped her.
White sword Iira.
When she first set foot in the Empire, she was nearly sold off to vile slave traders, but Ted saved her.
Since then, she followed Ted like a father, or so the story goes.
The Hero felt a pang of guilt.
‘…If I didn’t expect these reactions, it would be a lie.’
But even so, he had to make that bombshell statement.
‘Because it was necessary.’
Recent crises almost exposed his true identity.
The demons were far more aggressive and cunning than anticipated, and in response, the Hero had to reveal quite a few weaknesses.
The fact that Mother Ghost sensed inconsistencies in his actions and harbored suspicions was evidence enough.
Surely, even the demon side, watching the Hero closely, must have plenty of doubts.
‘The worst part is….’
The Demon King and the Great Demons Already Know About the Doppelganger
This was a fact that I had never expected at all, and it was a red flag that the current situation was more dangerous than I thought.
‘The demons will continue to threaten us in the future, but will I be able to keep my identity hidden until the end in the process of stopping and resolving it?’
No matter how optimistically I thought about it, it was impossible.
The probability of getting caught is too high.
In fact, hadn’t I just encountered Theo’s incarnation, who knew about the doppelganger, a while ago?
‘If I get caught… it’s over.’
A tremendous backlash would come crashing down.
Through dozens of experiences, the Hero had learned that humans would never accept the existence of a ‘doppelganger’.
Of course.
Who among humans would welcome an existence that could become ‘me’ in the blink of an eye and take everything away?
‘From the human point of view, I would be a worse monster than the demons.’
This unidentified monster has been playing the role of a Hero, and the fact that they have been deceived all along has been revealed?
It seemed clear how the demons would use this fact to shake and squeeze humanity in the most despicable way.
At that time, how much the ‘fake Hero’ had worked for humanity would no longer matter.
Humans would divide, fight, and doubt, and eventually they would not even be able to find the unity they have now.
That’s why I had devised this absurd lie that I was going to die soon.
The fact that the time limit would be let known to the demons alone was enough to solve many of the problems I mentioned above.
It could also be a bluff to draw out the movements of the traitors…
‘Above all, we can buy time.’
It was simple.
What stance would the demons take if they were to learn of the Hero’s time limit?
Would they immediately exert all their strength to fight a decisive battle?
Not at all.
On the contrary, the probability of saving themselves was much higher.
‘The biggest threat is going away on its own with time, so they wouldn’t want to take the risk of fighting.’
For the past year, the demons have been fighting like crazy against humanity.
It was all in order to somehow increase the production of demonic energy and bring forward the return of the Demon King.
However, if this news is spread, that leash will surely be tightened.
The immediate threat is reduced.
It was a step away from the risk of being exposed.
‘While they are complacent, I and my disciples can get stronger.’
Fortunately, both he and his disciples were showing a growth rate that far exceeded expectations.
By the time the demons wondered why the Hero was not only not dying, but getting stronger and stronger…
‘Humanity’s power will already have risen significantly.’
In addition, the lie of the time limit also serves as a countermeasure to suppress the worst-case scenario of the doppelganger being exposed.
If the threat of exposure is imminent, it would be enough to announce that the Hero has died due to injuries and left the world.
‘Then humanity, instead of being angry at the unknown monster called doppelganger, would focus more on mourning Ted Redymer, who dedicated his life to humanity and died, and on their determination to face the demons.’
Of course, even after shedding Ted’s skin, the Hero was on humanity’s side.
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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Since he planned to help humanity in a different form, it would be fair to say that there is no real gap in power.
…Of course, there was a low probability that there would be no traitors among the party members and that the news of the time limit would not reach the ears of the demons.
‘Then…’
Then we can just go with the ‘Ta-da, I was miraculously healed and survived!’ method.
‘Well, no one would hate it.’
The almost only downside of this plan was…
“…”
The Hero looked at his party members.
There was a large crack on everyone’s face.
The emotions that spread along that line were very familiar.
He knew better than anyone what emotions they would feel.
This planned loss would be very painful for those who had deep affection for Ted Redymer.
“…Ugh.”
In particular, Yussi was just shedding chicken dung-like tears without saying anything.
The Hero had only discussed this plan with those who knew his true identity.
Rosalyn, Euphemia, Mother Ghost, and Larze.
Yussi seemed to be suffering from extreme agony at the news that was like a bolt from the blue.
…Suddenly, something Rosalyn said came to mind.
“…People will be very sad.”
This was the only reason why this proper plan was such a thorn in my heart.
It was the moment when the Hero sighed.
Dante asked with a soulless face,
“Why suddenly… are you telling us this… secret?”
“You need to know and prepare.”
Irwas a reason that couldn’t be denied.
The Hero continued.
“I plan to inform our frontline comrades gradually. But not immediately. We shouldn’t shatter their morale.”
Taylor took over the conversation.
She had suddenly pulled out a flask from her bosom.
Pumpkin-colored rum gurgled down her throat.
“So, you came to Rosenstark a year ago.”
“Yeah, I intended to train successors.”
“To prepare alone without telling anyone…”
Taylor couldn’t continue speaking and closed her mouth with a weary expression.
The Hero also fell silent for a moment, looking at the members.
Subtle and complex emotions overwhelmed them.
Initially, it was just regret for deceiving them.
But as he continued to witness their sorrow, an indescribable feeling crept in.
In fact, the emotions the comrades displayed were entirely justified.
…Ted Redymer had died long ago.
The Hero made an effort to maintain composure and spoke again.
“Anyway, while you’re staying in Rosenstark, there’s something I need to ask of you.”
The members straightened up despite their sadness.
“When you’re feeling better, could you take care of the training for the disciples?”
The members nodded silently.
The Hero smiled faintly.
“As I said, they’re practically your juniors, so please take care of them. Teach them things I can’t, let them learn a lot.”
Most Dawn Knights had outstanding abilities of their own.
Their teachings could further the growth of the youngsters.
Apart from identifying traitors, it was also a great opportunity to prepare for when he left his position.
“Anyway, don’t worry too much. I’m perfectly fine for now.”
After the members suppress their emotions, they could discuss further.
The Hero bid farewell to the somber-faced members and left the lobby of the lodging.
They seemed to have many questions, but they appeared too drained to voice them.
Thunk-
He went out of the room as if about to leave immediately, but the Hero stepped into the lobby and leaned against the door for a moment instead.
The cold touch cooled his heated head.
In truth, this lie wasn’t an easy one for him.
‘Given their expressions…’
Feeling uneasy was inevitable.
The words of Euphemia, when she first heard the plan, echoed in his mind.
Beyond the communication bead, after a long contemplation, she had suddenly said.
“You?”
“What?”
“Are you going to be okay?”
If things went wrong, he had to leave everything behind.
All the relationships and bonds he had built as Ted.
Faces flashed through his mind, and the Hero lowered his head.
‘Of course, I’ll be fine.’
Thud-
The sound of footsteps in the corridor faded away.
* * *
Dormitory lounge.
The Extreme Kids sprawled on sofas and the floor, exhausted.
“Ugh, this is tough.”
“We really need a break.”
For the past few weeks, they had trained much harder than usual for the parents’ invitation event.
They managed to put on a great show, but exhaustion was inevitable.
“But thanks to the invitation event, we have a break until the end of this week.”
“I’m more scared of the break.”
“Me too.”
“I wonder what terrifying lectures the professor will prepare during the break…”
Ring-
The kids, who were complaining, stopped at the notification sound of the connector.
[Unir Lecture, Extreme’s Notice has been updated]
The expressions of the kids, who nervously grabbed the connector, changed subtly in the next moment.
“…Professor for a day?”
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HEL SCANS
[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
Join our Discord for release updates!
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