[9th Round] The Kind and Cosiderate Mr Hero

  In the 2nd round, I headed to the market area of the Dumpling Kingdom’s capital with my bag of money as soon as I got out of the palace’s throne room. I met bartender Tony in an old bar there and got a ticket to the black market.

  But this time I didn’t need to do that at all.

  Because I already knew the location where the black market was going to open.

  “Mr. Hero. This is a forest though?”


  Lanuvel who was naturally following me like a skilled stalker, tilted her head and asked.

  “Lanuvel, why are you following me?”


  “Because Lanuvel is Mr Hero’s colleague!”


  I knew that answer because I had heard it for the past 25 years until I got sick of it. But I had another reason why I still asked in a little bored manner.

  “You might get murdered by me again though?”


  In this 9th round, I purposefully killed Lanuvel for the first time. Of course Saintess H later revived her.

  But Lanuvel wasn’t the first ‘colleague’ to die by my hands.

  I killed my colleagues in an ambush at the end of the 1st round.

  In the 2nd round I also killed Elf Princess Sylvia, who was coming at me, and Sword King Alex also died because it was a ‘training akin to an actual battle’.

  In the 3rd round, I also broke Mermaid Princess Aqua’s neck to quickly collect some of that sweet sweet EXP…


  …I killed a lot of people, come to think of it. Oh well.

  Anyways, it was the first time for Lanuvel.

  Though she deserved to die 100 times when she kidnapped me, she was murdered for no reason from her point of view. And yet she was still following me nonchalantly like this.

  Lanuvel answered.

  “Lanuvel understands why Mr Hero attacked Lanuvel.”


  “… what?”


  “It’s normal to be on guard when the environment around you suddenly changes. Lanuvel thinks Lanuvel was hasty. According to the old texts and guidelines from the temples, heroes who just got summoned are weak. But Mr Hero is really strong. May I say it’s like releasing a dragon in a henhouse? And of course your hands could move before you think because you’re shy if an attractive woman like me peeks at your naked body up close!”


  Lanuvel who was seriously explaining logically started to act high and mighty.

  “Are you stupid? I don’t kill people just because I’m shy… umm…”


  I was trying to refute but mumbled the end of my words.

  Gumhee in the 1st round was like that, even though she couldn’t use her sword in the 8th round because I was a cute baby under 3 years old.

  “So Mr Hero. Why did you come to the forest?”


  “To take a walk.”


  I didn’t stop Lanuvel from following me, but I didn’t feel the need or obligation to explain things to her.

  The fact that I had returned to the ‘past’ was surely a secret.

  I had no thought of getting benefits by monopolizing information of the future.

  I didn’t want to be asked the question “Why did you return?”, which would come naturally if my return became known.

  Returning wasn’t something to be proud of.

  Because only losers who failed and dropouts would return. Just like retaking a quiz after getting low grades in it.

  Returning was a humiliation to be ashamed of.

  It was totally not something to be happy about while saying, “Hehe! Let’s live well after cleaning my stupid past!” like a main character in some fantasy novel.

  So I had to keep it strictly a secret.

  “I know a better place to take a walk. There’s also a new colleague I’d like to introduce to you.”


  A new colleague, she should be talking about the Sword King Alex.

  “No thanks.”


  There was an interesting fact here.

  The orientation that Grandmaster Alex hosted was supposed to be 5 days later, but it naturally got postponed as my capability became known through word of mouth.

  For 30 days.

  It was because the balance of power was broken.

  Just like what Lanuvel said, I was an S-grade Hero with a really strong power so I couldn’t be under control with uncivilized brute force.

  It would be okay if we had become acquainted.

  There was also a way, which was helping a weak hero grow and making them owe the kingdom.

  But that plan failed before they even tried to start it, and from the Dumpling Kingdom’s perspective it was like the lion (the Demon King) was scared and dragged the tiger (hero) into this.

  The kingdom also needed time to plan their own fallback.

  “Whoa! Mr Hero! Look! They’re spirits!”


  Then, Lanuvel repeatedly let out exclamations while looking around me.

  Was it because of the forest, which was outside the dirty city?

  Spirit F → Spirit E → Spirit D

  The spirits, who smelled my ‘natural human’ smell even though I didn’t activate Blackbox, started to gather around.

  My skill proficiency also started to drastically rise.

  But still, this was too fast.

  “Aah, are they stationed around here?”


  The fact that the spirits were huddled around like this was a supporting evidence that elementalists and sorcerers were forming a group around here

  I grinned.

  Because there would have been only one reason numerous elementalists and sorcerers assembled in this forest at this period of time.

  The violent elves!

  Sylvia and her followers must have gathered to raid the black market, which was hidden underneath the forest at the west side of the capital.

  With the poor spirits who got enslaved.

  But the elves’ evil plan became difficult to execute with my appearance. Because the spirits who should be digging tunnels to the black market clung to me.

  Spirits D → Spirits C → Spirits B

  The elves would fall into chaos the higher my skill grade went up.

  Just like Sylvia in the 8th round was.

  “Who are you?!”


  “I can’t believe you stole our spirits!”


  “A human attacked first?!”


  “What did you do!”


  The elves, who tracked down the spirits that got lured by my smell, threatened me while pulling their bow strings on top of trees in every direction.

  It was such a violent-elves-like attitude.

  But I didn’t give in to these fantasy-creature barbarians’ armed protest. Because justice always wins even without using violence.

  Spirits B → Spirits A → Spirits S

  The spirits’ migration accelerated more as the elves approached. My skill grade, which was going up rapidly, was the result.

  “Spirits~! Come back~!”


  “You can’t follow a dirty human~!”


  “Why aren’t they listening?!”


  The elf sorcerers and elementalists were already deep in panic. The ones who were threatening me were the archers and swordsmen, who were the only ones still thinking properly.

  But they were also confused, since they also possessed a little bit of proficiency in the Spirits skill.

  “How could this happen…?!”


  Elf Princess Sylvia was no exception. I think she would have been the most shocked since she lost the most number of spirits.

  She was completely breaking down.

  She had an expression like a female student’s, who ate ramyeon that was high in natrium and carbohydrate before sleeping, then got serious after gaining 1kg of weight even after pooping the next morning. (PR: ramyeon is korean ramen)

  ? Goosebumps: The example is too scary!

  It seemed as if Miss Trainee Teacher also had experienced the horror of ramyeon~

  ? Firm: No. I haven’t.

  Miss Trainee Teacher. A strong denial is a strong affirmation.

  “Elves. I’ll only introduce myself once so please clean your pointy ears and listen well. I’m innocent Noble A. This woman who acts cute while hitting on me is obscene Saintess A. We live in the capital and came to this forest to take a walk aimlessly. Now it’s our turn to ask. Why did violent elves come to this land of humans? You guys are acting very suspicious.”


  This is the vocabulary of Mr Hero with a grand career spanning 25 years!

  I already knew that the elves’ goal was to rescue the elf who was imprisoned under this ground, but then the conversation wouldn’t continue.

  So I acted as if I didn’t know.

  But I didn’t lie even a bit.

  It was a fact that Lanuvel was obscene, and even the Heavens knew that I was an innocent Mr Hero of noble bearing and grand stature.

  It was also correct that we took a walk in the vicinity of the black market.

  How is it? Miss Trainee Teacher.

  ? Difficult: isn’t it a problem that you’re being too honest?

  … it’s a problem because I’m honest?

  Sylvia, whose face turned dark after losing spirits that used to follow her like her tools, shouted while pointing at me.

  “That human noble who’s going to the black market must have used some evil trick! Let’s beat down that human and get our spirits back!”


  “Yes! Princess!”


  “Human! Give me my spirits back!”


  The elves who got incited by Sylvia tried to attack me.

  Then, Lanuvel stepped forward with her two arms open in a position which seemed to say ‘Please! There has been a misunderstanding!’


  “No! It’s a misunderstanding! We’re not bad people of dark company! Sorry that we hid our identities. I’m archeologist Lanuvel. And this person is Mr Hero who has been summoned from another dimension. The spirits only followed because they like Mr Hero. We didn’t do any weird trick at all!”


  “Stupid. Why did you say that?”


  The fact that I was a ‘hero’ was a secret.

  The Demon King must have heard since it was let known through an oracle, but the exact location where the hero was summoned and personal information were not revealed at all.

  The reason I hid my identity as the hero?

  It was because of the threat posed by Demon King Pedonar.

  There was a possibility of the hero being murdered even before growing.

  I knew through experience that the gentlemanly Demon King didn’t use dirty methods like murder, but the Fantasia natives who didn’t have previous dealings with the Demon King didn’t know.

  Even then Lanuvel exposed it as she pleased.

  Not only Lanuvel.

  All hero colleagues were always like this.

  They caused a crisis without considering my opinions and situations.

  If the Demon King Pedonar wasn’t of a gentlemanly character, a Level 999 devil assassin would have visited the Dumpling Kingdom within a few days.

  I was strong enough now so it would be fine, but a common Level 1 hero who was busy getting beaten by Alex couldn’t block that. Because there was also a limit to the power of love and friendship.

  That was the reason my 1st round was like hell.

  ? Question: Why?

  Miss Trainee Teacher. Think about it.

  Now I know that the Demon King is a gentleman, but in the 1st round I knew nothing.

  Then, my location was known to the devils.

  For an average everyday Earthling, would it be similar to imagine this like your resident registration number, credit card, passwords and so on were all leaked?

  In the 1st round I was shaking in horror of assassination every night.

  I used to check if there was any poison in my food before my Tolerance skill went up to A-grade.

  It was also the same when I got near people.

  I checked their stats carefully if they had any murder skill that could penetrate my Defense System skill, and I would stay away if there was any possibility.

  I think bartender Tony was the only exception?

  If he, who recognized my anxious mental condition immediately, didn’t help me, I would’ve already been swallowed up by fear and gone crazy.

  “That human is a hero…?”


  “Why is a hero… our spirits…”


  “Don’t believe her! There’s not even any evidence that he’s a hero!”


  The elves got noisy hearing what Lanuvel said.

  Elf Princess Sylvia said as a representative,

  “If you’re really a hero and didn’t use any evil trick, give us our friends back.”


  That logic wasn’t even funny.

  Were these elves thinking that hero was the Giving Tree? She was talking as if I needed to give what I had because I was a hero.

  Spirits S→ Spirits SS

  The spirits clung on me more like whining kids.

  Nonetheless, Spirits was counted as a combat skill. My Spirits skill level would drop if I give them back.

  In other words, it was as if these elves were interrupting the hero from getting stronger.

  The category I hated the most.

  “Listen carefully. The spirits are following me because they like me. If you guys are really the spirits’ friends then either coax them or ask them and take them yourselves.”


  “As expected! It must be a trick! Attack!”


  At this point I realized.

  That a peaceful conversation wasn’t needed for violent elves.

  *

  Just because it was a black market that was hidden under the ground, it didn’t mean that there was no entrance that was connected to the ground at all.

  Dimensional shift magic wasn’t free, so no matter how important security was, moving products with expensive dimensional shift magic circle was unsuitable for profitability.

  “Huk! How did you get in here?!”


  “Who are you! Reveal your identity!”


  Of course it was also strictly guarded.

  Some deep place in the forest.

  Level 200 ranged elite mercenaries were guarding the front of the cave going down to the black market that was hosted by the dark company.

  I answered with a gentle tone of voice.

  “Excuse me. I want to sell elves.”


  In the past I would’ve killed all the violent elves to keep the fact that I was the Hero from being known outside.

  But me in the 9th round, who moved while having graduation in mind, was generous.

  ? Species: Elf

  ? Level: 1

  ? Job: Archer (Archery= Penetration↑)

  ? Skill: Archery D Bull’s-eye D Collection E Rest E Swordsmanship F···

  ? Status: Restrained, Despair

  I only took their EXP instead of their lives.

  It was a little too bad that I couldn’t give them the honor to be together in this Hero’s heart forever, I didn’t have big complaints since I got the EXP.

  Natural humans were really great.

  They were optimized to show mercy for Fantasia’s barbarians.

  “Euuh…”


  “Euuk…”


  The elves who were violent became well-behaved.

  It was an effect of the elves, who were born weak, being ridiculously weakened as they fell to 1-level. They were like straw scarecrows.

  There was no problem pulling the elves, after tying them up like dried corvinas with vines I roughly found in the forest, all the way until the black market entrance.

  Except one person.

  “Mr Hero. Lanuvel is still against this even now.”


  Lanuvel annoyingly babbled beside me.

  She had become more well-behaved after I threatened to take off her clothes and sell her with the elves as a buy one get one free offer if she kept talking.

  “Welcome, Sir! Did you say you’re selling elves?”


  A black market’s official who received a report from the mercenaries came out of the cave.

  He looked shocked after seeing the dozens of arrested elves’ luxurious combat uniforms and good health condition.

  “Excuse me, but may I take a look first?”


  “As much as you’d like to.”


  The black market official had a magic tool that helped him guess others’ level.

  Magic glasses.

  They worked on the principle of seeing the ‘EXP density’ in their body.

  If we used that glass with an old-fashioned design, the power in the body would be marked as green like an infrared telescope.

  The higher the level was, the thicker the green would be.

  The black market official who finished checking while looking around the elves said,

  “Excuse me, Sir, But I don’t think I can buy the elves at a good price since their levels are too low. But if you still want to sell them… Huk?!”


  He was looking back at me with a reluctant tone and gasped.

  Jjeo-jeok!

  The magic glasses cracked dramatically.

  “Hmm. It seems like the value also goes down if the elves’ levels are too low. Is it because the viability dropped? I don’t like it…”


  Did I scrape the EXP too much?

  “N, no! Sir! The elves’ levels might be a bit low, but the female elves’ faces are good-looking and the men’s builds are good for elves! I’ll buy them all at the best price! So please calm down your anger! You’re a great being!”


  “… is that so?”


  I released my displeased expression and smiled brightly.

  Blackmail E → Blackmail B

  Coerce D → Coerce C

  Transaction F → Transaction D

  The proficiency of weird skills that didn’t suit me at all went up, but it was alright.