Raising A Hero – Chapter 55

Ch 55: C-class Hero

The Ji-hyuk team rested comfortably for four days and then left the city, Seletoria. Everyone’s faces were wistful as they looked at the receding city walls.

Gid still couldn’t forget the maid’s soft, smooth skin and licked his lips. He said he liked getting a bath so much. He said he found his life there….

“D*mn it, we won’t be coming here again….”

In an attempt to leave even a trace of himself, he gathered a thick glob of phlegm and spat it out of the carriage with a “Ptooey.”

“Enjoyed your stay, you bastardsㅡ.”

His booming shout echoed into the sky, where the sun was just rising. The birds sitting in the nearby trees were startled and fluttered away. There was something that tugged at the heartstrings in that scene.

The group now headed for the capital. Of course, it would take another two or three months until they returned, but they felt light, thinking they had finished the job.

Gid had already planned what he would do with the money, and he recited it. From what he said, it was only about fooling around with women. Ma-hu-shu, who had been listening quietly, looked at Ya-el with a curious look.

“Ya-el, what’s ‘sticking a d*ck in the back door’?”

“Ah, that, that….”

Ya-el immediately glared at Gid with fierce eyes. The bald guy didn’t care and quickly took the lead.

“Ah, that, you see….”

Then Ji-hyuk cleared his throat with a “hmm.” Gid glanced at the team leader and chuckled lewdly. No matter how reckless a mercenary he was, he was still scared of the team leader. He quickly passed on the answer.

“…Ask the team leader.”

Ji-hyuk suddenly remembered the past. At that time, he had been f*cking Ma-hu-shu’s a*s, drugged up, without caring about anything. …Beastmen are different from humans, and there’s even a taste to f*cking an underdeveloped a*shole.

“Team leader?”

Ma-hu-shu called out to the team leader. It was Ya-el who was rather flustered. She tried to divert the interest of this curious warrior girl.

“Ma-hu-shuㅡ! That, that, how was training yesterday?”

When the topic of training came up, the warrior’s expression changed again, and she began to chatter excitedly about the topic. …Ya-el finally breathed a sigh of relief.

…It’s fortunate she’s simple.

Then, she didn’t forget to glare at Gid. He smirked and whistled.

Kayak, who had been deep in thought with his arms crossed, suddenly opened his mouth towards Ji-hyuk.

“What are you going to do when you get back to the capital?”

“I’ll have to think about it on the way. …Well, I’ll do the things I’ve been putting off, and form a team.”

Gid took this opportunity and immediately clung to the team leader.

“Oh, team leader. Please accept me as a comrade. I swear my loyalty. I’ll give you my liver and gall bladder.”

“…Well, I’ll see how you do.”

“I really haven’t spared my body. You know that. …Yes? Hehe, team leadeeeer.”

The bald guy smiled lewdly, showing his yellow teeth. The team leader said he would consider it positively. The guy fawned over him like he would suck his toes. Ma-hu-shu glared at him as if it was unsightly.

“Protect your honor, d*mn itㅡ!”

“D*mn it, does honor feed you?”

“Honor is the life and livelihood of a warriorㅡ!”

“Yeah, you eat that for the rest of your life. If I have the team leader, hehe, that’s all I need. Team leadeeeerㅡ.”

Gid called out to the team leader in a seductive voice. The carriage soon became a sea of laughter. Ya-el was also so absurd that she burst into laughter. Ma-hu-shu looked at the group disapprovingly, asking if it was funny.

“Yes, I will also become a great warrior and be treated like the team leaderㅡ! Gid, you watch. I’ll become a great warrior that you can’t even look atㅡㅡ!”

“Oh, the future great warrior. I’m sorry that I can’t recognize you. Ohhhㅡ.”

The guy acted as if he was trembling and mocking. Ya-el kicked the guy’s shin with her foot, telling him to stop joking around. “Ouchㅡ.” The tanker cried out, as if a mage hit him.

Meanwhile, the surroundings became bright.

Gorsh suddenly began to quietly sing a hymn, asking for the blessing of the Sun God.

Everyone watched the beautiful scenery outside and listened to the song. It was holy and magnificent.

…The city disappeared from sight forever.

· · ·

The capital had a generally warm climate throughout the four seasons, but it wasn’t entirely without changes. In the beginning and end of the year, a slightly cool wind blew.

The weather was exactly like that now. It was the season to wear another thin coat.

Looking at the changed scenery from when they had set off, the Ji-hyuk team finally entered the capital. It had been a long journey. It had taken about seven months. They had been hurrying, so it was at this level, but if they had lingered, it might have taken a year.

“Shiiitㅡ.”

Gid’s limited education could only express his feelings of returning to the capital with a vulgar curse. Ya-el, who was born and raised here, also felt so good to step on her hometown. Ma-hu-shu, who was visiting the capital for the first time, looked quite overwhelmed by the city’s grandeur. Ji-hyuk patted her back reassuringly and smiled.

“Hey, Ma-hu-shu. How is it? It’s huge, right? Shiit, I wasn’t lying. The desert city is just a speck compared to the capital.”

“It, it’s bigger than a speckㅡ!”

“Okay, then I’ll give it to you as if it were a lump of boogers.”

Gid spoke as if he was teasing a country girl who had come up from the countryside. Ma-hu-shu couldn’t help but feel a little intimidated. Even if it was big, she hadn’t expected it to be this big.

For now, the journey was over. The team members had completed the contract admirably. Ji-hyuk was to pay the costs. He had to take care of the urgent matters first.

“Wait at the inn over there. It may take a while, so be aware of that. By the way, you can go if you need to do something.”

“Yes, team leader.”

Ya-el asked if she could go to the magic academy for a moment. Gorsh also wanted to stop by his guild hall for a while. Ji-hyuk readily gave permission.

They separated, with the rest of the team waiting at the inn. Ji-hyuk and the group walked towards the inner castle.

After walking for a while, he finally arrived at the inner castle gate. Naturally, a strict identity check was required. He took out a scroll from his luggage and handed it over. The guard said that the verification process would take some time and that he should wait comfortably inside. Ji-hyuk didn’t refuse.

As he waited in the waiting area, sipping the tea that the female employee had given him, the guard came in after confirming his identity. He bowed his head, saying he was sorry for making him wait so long.

“You may enter, sir.”

Ji-hyuk received the scroll again and entered the inner castle. And he headed straight for the Hall of Fame.

This was a kind of guild exclusively for heroes. All matters related to heroes were handled here. Naturally, the mission repository was also here.

The Hall of Fame was under strict guard. Ji-hyuk had to go through an identity check again before entering the building.

…It’s been a long time.

Including the 15th time, it had been almost four years. Naturally, he felt different. He went to the counter where the employees were. In fact, even the employees were all children from noble families. They considered it an honor to work here.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m here to confirm the completion of the mission.”

“Please wait a moment.”

Ting, ting. One of the employees came out of the waiting room inside the counter. It was a handsome young man with a pleasant impression. He directly took Ji-hyuk to the mission repository.

This place, in particular, was managed even more strictly. Even employees couldn’t enter just anyone. Only the employees who were specially permitted to enter could go inside. Of course, heroes were exceptionally allowed.

Ji-hyuk entered the repository with the employee. It was a library-like atmosphere. Countless bookshelves lined up in a row, and the scrolls, classified according to certain moods, were densely packed.

“Follow me.”

The male employee occasionally checked to see if Ji-hyuk was following him well. The two entered deep into the repository. There was an employee’s room and a director’s office. Ji-hyuk entered the director’s office.

“Welcome.”

The director of the management office was an old man with a weathered face. Of course, he was a person Ji-hyuk knew well. The mage Miguel. He had managed and supervised this place for 40 years.

“What brings you here?”

“I’m here to confirm the completion of the mission.”

“Will you give me the hero’s badge?”

“I’m a candidate.”

“Ah, is that so?”

Miguel nodded and got up from his seat. He gestured to the door with his palm, saying to go out again. The two went out of the director’s office and headed somewhere.

“Give me the scroll.”

Ji-hyuk handed the scroll to the director. He called an employee and had him bring the original of this scroll. What he had now was a copy.

Soon, the employee returned with the original. The director said, “Follow me,” and started walking somewhere again. Ji-hyuk knew where he was going.

The most important and secret place in this repository.

The Fountain of Prophecy.

The place where all of these missions are born and completed.

The security there was even stricter than outside. Everyone was on edge, as if they wouldn’t allow any carelessness.

They entered the room called the Fountain of Prophecy.

There was an enormous amount of mana swirling around in the room. Right in the middle of the room was the source of the mana. It was a snow-white feather. The employees who worked here called it the angel’s feather. It was said to have some kind of academic name, but Ji-hyuk didn’t remember it.

There were three mages and a clerk in each of the four corners of the room. They were all from the magic academy and were fluent in the ancient language. The mages were in charge of interpreting the ancient language written on the angel’s feather into the continental language. The clerk recorded the number and date of the prophecy. The interpretation was sent directly to the employee’s room, where they untangled the enigmatic sentence and reinterpreted it. …The missions given to heroes went through such enormous processes.

Everyone considered this to be a holy work given by the heavens, so the imperial family was in charge of the general management. Strictly speaking, the director was a middle manager. The current general manager was the 15th prince, who had visited the academy before.

Director Miguel held the original mission scroll and headed for the feather. The feather suddenly turned towards the scroll as if it were the needle of a compass. The director slowly brought it close to the feather.

At the same time, the angel’s feather began to reabsorb the mana it was emitting. The trembling feather suddenly stopped and began to scribble something. …It was only one letter.

It was an ancient word meaning completion. It meant that the mission had been completed. The director briefly handed the scroll to the clerk. The clerk checked the mission number and recorded it.

Now it was all over. Ji-hyuk had confirmed that the mission was completed.

The director took the original again and came out of the Fountain of Prophecy with Ji-hyuk. The two headed for the employee’s room. On the way, the old mage suddenly opened his mouth.

“…You said you’re a candidate?”

“Yes.”

“I was surprised. …This is the first time in history.”

It seemed he had confirmed the contents. That this mission was worth 100 points. Of course, that wasn’t the score the feather had determined. The feather didn’t decide those things. It just made prophecies.

The score changed depending on the situation. As far as he remembered, he knew that this mission had initially been worth 40 points. Then, after the heroes experienced several failures, it became a 100-point mission and had been left to sit for quite a while.

“As a fellow human being, I am very pleased.”

“It’s an overstatement.”

“It’s an overstatement. I’m saying I restrained myself as much as possible. …In all honesty, I think this might be the birth of an unprecedented hero.”

Ji-hyuk kept his mouth shut. There was no need to open his mouth any further. The director didn’t say anything more either.

They entered the employee’s room. It was to proceed with the future procedures.

The director looked for the treasurer. A meticulous-looking man bowed his head respectfully to the director.

“Treasurer, confirm the amount to be paid.”

“Yes, Director.”

The money was paid in proportion to the contribution. Usually, it was counted as thirty gold coins per contribution. Then, the money Ji-hyuk would receive was approximately three thousand gold coins. It was an enormous amount. Of course, it would be reduced considerably if the expenses were taken into account, but still, a considerable amount of money remained in his hands. …Well, a hero should earn this much.

The treasurer also looked a little surprised by the high contribution. Three bags would be needed to fill three thousand coins.

“I’ll keep the rest in my name. I’ll take a thousand gold coins today.”

Of course, even a thousand coins was not a small amount of money, but usually, they took that amount when they finished a mission.

Ji-hyuk soon received a bag containing a thousand gold coins. The gold coins were the size of a thumbnail, but they became quite heavy because there were a thousand of them.

The director said that the report on the mission would be sent to the prince today, so he should come back here by the day after tomorrow at the latest. The reason was for the hero appointment ceremony.

“Understood. Then.”

The work was done. He didn’t need to stay here any longer, so he lightly greeted them and turned to leave.

As he disappeared from sight, the treasurer clicked his tongue and quietly said to the director.

“I don’t know how long it’s been since there has been a 100-point. …He looks young, but his skills are amazing.”

The director grinned.

“Don’t be surprised. …He’s a candidate, not a hero.”

“…Yes?”

“You, just now, experienced a historic moment that won’t happen again.”

The mage Miguel laughed heartily. The employees who were there all doubted their ears. A mere candidate completed a 100-point mission? It was truly unbelievable. If the director hadn’t said it, they would have dismissed it as a joke.

Naturally, the employee room was in an uproar. It quickly spread from the repository to the hall and even to the inner castle.

The rumors about the 100-point candidate spread through the capital like wildfire overnight.