Chapter 282 |
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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The Hero put the forged identification back into his pocket and looked around.
There were sounds of hawkers, the pleasant smell of freshly baked bread and spices, and the noise of street performances.
The lively and bustling atmosphere of the street engulfed him instantly.
‘It’s been a while,’
The Hero thought to himself.
It was the first time since he had hidden in Harlem years ago to defeat the demons.
His gaze suddenly turned towards Harlem.
‘I wonder how Barun is doing.’
But today, he wasn’t looking for her.
The Hero’s steps led him in the opposite direction.
It was the most bustling and luxurious street in the district, where influential people resided.
The Hero briskly walked, taking in the atmosphere.
The mood was subtly different from a few years ago, tinged with tension and unease that lay beneath the surface.
People whispered continuously, their voices lowered.
The Hero listened intently.
“That new Hero from the north… Is he another fake or a fraud?”
“Well, he has accomplished quite a lot of remarkable feats.”
“I hope he brings some good news. It’s been a while since we heard of a satisfying victory.”
“Do you happen to know if he’s a legitimate Hero following in Ted Redymer’s footsteps?”
Once again, the most talked-about topic was the new Hero, Arpheus, who had emerged in this bleak situation, bringing hope.
People were both skeptical and hopeful, expressing their expectations and concerns.
‘Still, there seems to be a glimmer of hope,’
The Hero thought, feeling rewarded for his public service.
As he surveyed public opinion, he quickly reached his destination.
‘The address is this way…’
Thunk-
Since it was a street where politicians, wealthy individuals, and nobles resided, security was tight.
Even between the mansions, there were soldiers surpassing knight-level guards.
However, something was off.
Everyone seemed to overlook the Hero, disguised in suspicious attire with a hood.
The Hero smiled satisfactorily.
▼
Season: Activated “Flowing Shadows.”
▲
Among the many replicas that ??? had created, there was a famous grand thief from the First Era.
A thief whose skills were beyond comparison to the likes of Bucks.
Now that the control over Polymorph had been lifted, his ultimate skill was also as good as the Hero’s.
Hero now had mastered the ‘ultimate skills’ of various fields in addition to thievery.
Swoosh-
Having perfectly concealed his presence, the Hero headed towards a mansion on one side of the street.
Among the splendid houses, it was the grandest and most majestic.
At the front gate.
“…”
The Hero paused, looking at the intricate pattern on the door.
It depicted a deity embracing a person, symbolizing protection.
The deity’s figure was ambiguous but composed of gentle curves, with both arms warmly outstretched.
People crouched beneath the deity’s embrace, smiling peacefully.
Inscribed at the bottom of the pattern were the words, “Sanctuary.”
A small smile formed on the Hero’s lips.
‘They’ve made it big.’
He remembered Pia’s disheveled gray hair and Kasim’s sleep-deprived face.
The image of the assistant they used to tease and the young man with blond hair who always laughed stubbornly came to mind.
Pia and Kasim had gotten married about a year ago.
‘The prophecy from Daelim became a reality.’
Muriel, the disciple of the prophet Laplace, had foretold that Kasim would meet his spouse and marry, even though he had joked about marrying a fairy.
‘People never know.’
As someone who remembered them struggling in the research lab, the Hero was amazed by how well they fit together and the tremendous strength they showed when they joined forces.
Pia had gained substantial wealth as an Awakened, but she lacked social skills and connections to enter high society.
That’s when Kasim stepped in, using his social prowess to gain support from influential nobles.
‘They’ve become beacons of light in these dark times.’
Thanks to the friendly noble faction formed around the royal family, governing the country became much easier, to the point where even Euphemia would approve of their actions.
Their contributions were remarkable.
Thunk-
The Hero stepped through the main gate slowly.
Despite the late hour, there were many people coming and going, allowing him to blend in easily with his concealment technique.
Amidst this, ??? remarked.
[You seem less tense than last time].
The Hero nodded slightly.
Among his former colleagues, these two were the ones who might respond positively.
They had protected him when his identity was revealed on the hill.
[You seem confident, they witnessed your Polymorph scene firsthand. It’s a sight that humans can’t help but detest.]
‘I know, so just shut it.’
[……]
The Hero couldn’t help but feel nervous despite ???’s words.
It had been three years already.
Back when his identity was exposed, he might have defended him under emotions and loyalty, but now, the chances of regaining reason and composure were not slim.
‘Pia’s presence…’
It was felt from the top floor of the main building.
Kasim hadn’t returned from his outing yet, as his presence wasn’t felt.
The Hero followed a servant hurrying with documents.
‘Oh.’
Entering the mansion, the Hero’s steps halted as he noticed the portraits on the walls.
‘The couple seems happy.’
Kasim was looking at Pia with his characteristic playful smile.
Pia, although with an awkward smile, was staring straight ahead, her hand firmly holding Kasim’s.
Neither of them had changed much from the image in his memory.
After standing in front of the painting for a while, the Hero climbed the stairs leading to the top floor.
‘…Huh.’
His steps paused again as he reached the entrance of the top floor corridor.
It felt familiar.
‘Could it be?’
At the end of the corridor, there was a door emitting light.
Since a servant was busy handing over documents, the Hero could slip in through the opening.
…Entering the study, the Hero stood there, captivated by memories.
‘It’s exactly the same.’
Pia’s study was identical to the research lab he used in Rosenstark.
The arrangement of the desk, bookshelves, and the room’s structure, everything was the same.
It was a place where he spent a lot of time with Pia, striving to create better lectures.
‘And in that corner.’
Spotting her buried in documents, the Hero was engulfed in a flashback as if transported back several years.
A soft murmur caught his ears, reminding him of that time.
“Why is the budget always running low?”
The Hero almost burst out laughing, forgetting the current situation for a moment.
Whether as an extreme assistant or a high-ranking officer in Sanctuary, her struggle with budgets seemed unchanged.
[Hehe, shall we start the replication as promised?]
“…Alright.”
Instead of improving Polymorph, he would now replicate every colleague he met from now on.
It was a promise with ???.
Although it seemed to intend to make humans feel disillusioned, the Hero accepted it.
▼
…Pia Joyce is “reproduced.”
▲
Thud-!
A massive shock hit him, and countless images flashed in his mind.
Her impoverished yet happy childhood.
The joy of enrolling in Rosenstark and unleashing her genius.
However, her school life was not as smooth as expected.
“That damn Momont!”
The shame and humiliation from group bullying.
The news of her hometown turning into a wasteland.
The brink of despair after the failure of the “Awakened” project she had pinned her hopes on.
The Hero felt suffocated.
But amid the rushing past, someone appeared, breaking through her tense emotions.
It was him, the Hero.
‘…She was happy.’
Despite Pia’s constant complaints, she was undoubtedly happy.
Successfully leading the Awaken project to success, she was freed from guilt, contributing to a better future.
With unwavering trust and support from the Hero, she recovered herself and her days were fulfilling.
In the past, he was Pia’s savior.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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[Let’s see if these emotions persist to the end.]
As ??? spoke, the scene changed.
The hill where Yol was subdued.
Many people surrounded the Hero, criticizing and condemning him.
The emotion Pia felt at that moment was pure injustice and anger.
With burning passion, her heart melted, and the injustice boiled up from deep within, rising to her throat.
‘This is unfair. Why are those jerks bothering our Hero!’
The Hero froze.
??? also seemed puzzled and stopped speaking.
Gradually, scenes unfolded that the Hero didn’t know.
It looked like some kind of inquisition… Pia and those who surrounded and supported the Hero were the subjects.
Even with senior professors surrounding her, Pia stood firm and spoke her mind.
“I spent the most time with the Professor. I know better than anyone what he was thinking!”
“Pia Joyce! Are you defending monster from within and without in a public setting?”
“Yes! I am defending! Don’t you even see?”
“What, what!?”
“He’s someone who has devoted all her time and effort to children’s education and a better future. Other than being human, what more can one ask for from him?”
…As she passionately shouted, Kasim looked at her with sparkling eyes.
Pia completely affirmed the Hero, with no hint of doubt, acknowledging him.
This was unexpected for both the Hero and ???.
But there was more to come.
Clatter-
At a gathering with Kasim, Pia’s face turned red as she slurred,
“I actually had a suspicion.”
“Yes? About what?”
“It’s about the professor who improved Awakened.”
“…What?”
Pia spoke slowly,
“The Principal clearly stated that the Hero was ignorant of alchemy, which is strange. How could someone like that suddenly create such a sophisticated alchemical formula overnight?”
There were other doubts as well, like not sleeping even in tiring situations, traces of hair that had been polymorphed into other people, and creating the design for ‘Simulacrum’ was also hard to believe.
Once she saw a cat entering through the window, she rushed to the lab only to find the Hero sitting there.
These were subtle clues that only someone who had spent a lot of time with the Hero, like Pia, could notice.
“But what does that have to do with anything? Even if he wants to be human, what does that have to do with…?”
…Those were the memories.
Pia was deeply immersed in paperwork when she suddenly looked up.
Creak-
The door to the study made a small noise.
‘Why is it open?’
She wondered.
The servant must have closed it earlier.
Pia approached the open door with a puzzled expression, then froze as she noticed something on the floor beyond it.
“What is this?”
Resembling a puppy, its eyes slowly moistened.
After staring at it for a moment, Pia ran without hesitation.
Tap-
A voice echoed in her chest as if it would burst.
It was a name she hadn’t uttered in a long time.
“Professor!”
* * *
No one can achieve complete self-affirmation.
Even the most optimistic and lenient person harbors disappointment and doubt about themselves deep down.
This is why, for a moment, the Hero who “became” Pia fell into an indescribable mood.
It was because she felt an absolute affirmation towards him.
Pia had spent the most time with him, watching his every move.
Her affirmation was enough to erase the self-blame, doubt, and shame filling his heart.
Although he couldn’t believe he could be affirmed like that, he was deeply moved.
‘…I need to leave soon.’
The Hero left a deep understanding of alchemy he gained through Polymorph with Pia.
It was about the realm that even the Yussi had not fully reached but he could thanks to Polymorph’s power.
He thought that if it was Pia, she would recognize who left it and contribute to its development.
But… since it was Pia, she would surely know who left it.
Suppressing his confusion, the Hero hurriedly moved his steps outside.
…Or at least he tried to.
“……”
A pair of blue eyes shining in the darkness stopped him in his tracks.
The sharp tip of a rapier aimed at the Hero.
The swirling aura of sensitivity around the man explained the reason for his exposure.
‘…Kasim?’
He looked unrecognizable in his grown appearance.
But his sharpness and vigilance disappeared as quickly as melting snow.
The tip of the rapier slowly descended.
‘Wait a moment…’
The Hero looked at Kasim approaching step by step with trembling eyes.
His expression.
His eyes sparkled, mingling longing and joy.
Tap-
When he heard faint footsteps from afar, the Hero realized he was in a dire situation.
The Hero stood still.
“Professor.”
Kasim smiled broadly.
“…It’s been a while.”
Thud-
At the same time, something small embraced the Hero from behind.
The Hero couldn’t shake it off and escape.
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[Translator – Night]
[Proofreader – Gun]
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