Neril asked,
“Mide, did you figure something out?”
I quickly composed myself and replied as calmly as I could.
“Yeah. I guess it’s safe to tell you now. I just checked through Trail. My current fame is about 280,000. Kaeld’s is around 410,000.”
Everyone looked at me, stunned into silence.
After a while, Lisel finally spoke.
“That’s about a 130,000 difference. I’m not great with numbers, but…”
“You usually gain about 20,000 to 30,000 fame from completing a quest.”
“Wait, then that’s a huge gap!”
“Exactly. That just shows the massive quality gap between the two oracles.”To be precise, it was the difference in content between the oracles that made the real impact.
“Idria named me as the Demon King’s pawn. That’s likely the key reason I couldn’t gain as much fame as Kaeld.”
“Let’s just go back to the starting line! We can grab that Celestial God by the collar and demand a new oracle!”
“And say what? ‘Oh, you forgot something earlier’? You think the people of the continent would take that seriously?”
“…”
“Forget taking it seriously. They would just say, ‘See? The first oracle was right after all.’ Asking for a new one would completely backfire.”
The group fell silent for a moment.
I spoke again in a gentle voice.
“But there’s good news, too.”
“Huh? Like what…?”
“At least in the regions we passed through, there’s been no unrest. In those places, my fame still shines brightly.”
“…!”
“Trail told me to pass on a message, just keep doing what we have been doing. He said we can definitely make a comeback.”
Trail protested.
[Hey, I never told you to pass that on.]
‘Don’t be shy.’
Once again, the group fell into silence.
But this silence was different, it lasted longer.
They were feeling the same overwhelming emotion that I had just moments ago.
“This… feels kind of strange.”
“It’s actually kind of moving.”
“Everything we have done has been building up, even without us realizing.”
“I think there’s still hope. That’s a relief.”
“We just need to keep going, like Mr. Trail said.”
The atmosphere brightened considerably.
I was about to say something when Neril spoke first.
“Hey, can I change the topic for a moment?”
“Of course.”
“Thanks. Mide, we have currently set the capital as our destination, right?”
“Huh? Yeah.”
“Do we actually have a reason to go there?”
I shook my head.
“Not really. I just figured the capital has the largest population, so I wanted to see how public sentiment had shifted.”
“Then let’s change our destination. I mean, Trail can check public sentiment for us, right?”
I tilted my head.
“I don’t mind, but… where to?”
“Gabriel Territory.”
“You mean…”
“Yeah, the land once ruled by the Erenica family.”
Offense spoke gently.
“You have got quite a history with that place, don’t you?”
“Yeah. But don’t get the wrong idea. I’m not suggesting it for personal reasons.”
“Then why?”
“I’m surprised none of you noticed. Just look at Mide’s face for a second.”
Everyone turned to me.
I touched my face, puzzled.
“What? Do I have something on it?”
“No, and that’s the problem.”
“Huh?”
“Sigh. I’m talking about the Hero’s Mark. The mark!”
Ah!
Our jaws dropped in unison.
It was something we had discussed when I first met Neril.
When an oracle is received, a Hero’s Mark is engraved on the hero’s forehead, Neril had said she could craft it if needed.
Xenia nodded.
“That’s right. All past heroes had their Hero’s Mark appear after receiving an oracle.”
“Exactly. But Mide hasn’t gotten one.”
“Why not, though?”
“My guess is that damned Celestial God deliberately left it out. Even if we went back and asked again…”
“They wouldn’t listen. And I doubt they would even show up if we blew that horn again.”
They were right.
This was a serious issue.
Xenia asked,
“So… Miss Neril, are you saying you plan to engrave a fake Hero’s Mark? In Gabriel Territory?”
Neril nodded.
I didn’t know how exactly she planned to do it, but for us who didn’t have a clear next objective, this felt like a guiding light.
I spoke with sincerity.
“Thank you. Honestly, I was starting to feel a bit lost.”
“It’s nothing.”
“With how my fame’s been crushed by that terrible oracle, there’s nothing more important than engraving the mark right now.”
“Exactly. If you don’t even have the mark, then Idria’s fake oracle will end up being taken as the truth.”
I was about to thank her again…
Our group had regained its sense of purpose.
No matter how tough the situation, when humans have a concrete next step, they can find strength again.
Neril had given us that next step.
I wasn’t joking, at this moment, Neril looked more beautiful than ever.
I felt the urge to express that feeling.
“Neril, you are really…”
“But wait, sis… what exactly do you mean by saying we have to go to Gabriel Territory to engrave the mark?”
Adwin interrupted.
I had no choice but to close my mouth.
For some reason, Offense and Lisel both covered their face with one hand.
“So young.”
“Too young.”
“Huh? You’re not talking about me, are you?”
“Good ears.”
“Because you’re young.”
Adwin tilted his head in confusion.
Then Neril shrugged and answered.
“Well, it’s the Hero’s Mark we’re talking about. It’s not something I can just whip up with some random magic. If anyone finds out it’s fake, Mide will lose his credibility as the hero.”
“Fair point.”
“In Gabriel Territory, there was a gravekeeper who watched over the Erenica family tomb. That old man had a storage filled with family treasures.”
She must have meant that elderly man who was killed by the shopkeeper Grey.
I felt nostalgic remembering when I met Neril for the first time after returning. But I didn’t show it and just asked,
“Didn’t Grey’s gang steal all the treasures?”
“Remember how I hunted every single one of them down?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, while I was at it, I tracked down the treasures they had sold. I recovered all of them and returned them to that old man’s storage.”
Ah. I got the idea now.
Xenia chimed in.
“This might be off-topic, but… what happened to that Erenica family’s heirloom? The timeline doesn’t match up for Grey’s gang to have taken it.”
“Right. That incident was 30 years ago.”
“…”
“That book… well, it was during a time when I was going through a bit of a slump. It’s not that important. Can we just skip over it?”
“Sure. It doesn’t really matter anymore anyway.”
Neril smiled gently, grateful for the change of subject.
She returned to the topic.
“Anyway, there’s one item I need from those treasures I recovered. It’s necessary to engrave the Hero’s Mark.”
“What is it?”
“You will see when we get there. Mide, are you okay with this plan?”
I nodded without hesitation.
“Of course.”
“Great. Xenia.”
Xenia nodded firmly and shouted to Agril,
“Agril, full speed to Gabriel Territory!”
Agril sped up again.
Serein also moved to infuse Agril with divine power.
She’s basically running on autopilot at this point.
Once things settled down, I scratched my head and turned to Neril.
I wanted to finish what I was saying before Adwin interrupted.
“Hey, Neril.”
“Yeah?”
“You’re really…”
“Oh, right. Xenia! Once we are inside Gabriel Territory, don’t go all the way in just yet. Do you have the map?”
Neril cut me off and ran to Xenia.
Maybe it was just me, but her face looked slightly red.
Adwin grinned.
“See? Even Neril cut you off. So it’s not just because I’m young!”
Offense and Lisel exchanged glances.
“So young.”
“Very young, indeed.”
Stop it. I’m going to cry.
It was at that moment.
Pop.
Suddenly, a screen appeared.
A red screen.
‘Huh? Is that Idria?’
[……]
‘Why? Isn’t it?’
[It is Idria’s authority, but… something feels a bit off. Maybe I’m just imagining it.]
I tilted my head in confusion.
Trail continued speaking.
[Either way, someone is definitely spying on us.]
‘To use divine authority again right after issuing a fake prophecy… She must be overflowing with power.’
[Actually, it doesn’t look like she has power to spare.]
“Demon King of Lies and Deception, Idria, has descended.”
“In response, I appoint a Hero. His name is Mide Mohan.”
“Gather under him, and rise against the Demon King.”
Just three lines.
Idria’s oracle branded Mide as the Demon King’s lackey.
But the real prophecy didn’t even mention Kaeld.
It didn’t deny him, it ignored him completely.
Kaeld’s grin stretched ear to ear as he sprinted back into the cave.
“Idria! It worked!”
“……”
“The real oracle didn’t even mention me. It just calmly stated Mide is the hero. Totally different from your detailed, manipulative version!”
“Cough.”
“Idria?”
Just then, she coughed up black blood.
Kaeld hurried to her, only to be stopped.
Tap.
Someone grabbed his shoulder.
‘Who?’
He hadn’t sensed a single presence.
Kaeld felt a chill run down his spine.
As he turned, a sharp voice rang out.
“Do not turn around. Do not speak.”
“……”
“Wasting time on you is beneath me.”
Whoosh.
The voice’s owner hurled Kaeld backwards.
Despite his bulky frame, Kaeld was flung like a ragdoll, crashing into the cave wall.
“Gah!”
Only then did he get a good look at the speaker.
A knight clad in heavy armor.
Not the radiant silver of the Holy Knights, but a somber black suit of armor.
The knight rushed to Idria’s side.
“Lady Idria, are you alright?”
“Sobius. Sorry to show you this sorry state.”
“You overexerted yourself. I won’t deny that.”
“Heh… It had to be done. If I hadn’t added those extra lines to the fake oracle, Mide’s fame would have far surpassed Kaeld’s.”
The knight glared at Kaeld with a sharp gaze.
“Was it really worth the effort for such a maggot?”
“It’s not because I like him.”
“Sigh…”
“Anyway, Kaeld, listen carefully.”
Kaeld struggled to stand.
He didn’t like Sobius, who had thrown him like trash, but he wasn’t dumb enough to argue right now.
“What?”
“Now that you have the Hero’s Mark, only one task remains: you must kill me.”
“…!”
“A fake Hero, created by the Demon King, slays the Demon King. The ultimate Lie. That alone will grant me immense power. With that power…”
“……”
“I will cast a true deception.”
So this was the real climax, Kaeld thought.
But Idria shook her head as if mocking that assumption.
“But right now, I’m too weak.”
“Clearly.”
“Who would fear a feeble Demon King? I must be invincible, feared and hated across the world.”
Kaeld understood immediately.
If he killed Idria now and announced her death, people would react with, “Already? That was anticlimactic.”
No one would be impressed by his heroics.
“So the more I shine, the greater your lie will become.”
“Exactly. That’s why I need time to recover.”
“Got it. What do I do until then?”
“Two things.”
Idria took a labored breath and continued.
“First, reveal your party members to the world.”
“What? You want me to recruit new companions now?”
“Every Hero in history has had companions. A Hero without a party isn’t a Hero.”
“……”
“You must be perfect, so perfect that no one can doubt your authenticity. Even if it’s just for show, introduce your new companions.”
Kaeld frowned.
“You say it like they are already ready.”
“You already have your first party member right here.”
Kaeld’s eyes widened.
Idria looked at Sobius and said:
“My First Finger. I know you won’t like it, but you will become Kaeld’s first party member.”
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