19

============================================= ==

============================================= == My fame spread throughout the entirety of Fantasia. Although there was the side issue of the Dumpling King going into seclusion out of deep grief regarding the recent incident, the majority of the kingdom’s people were busy praising the righteous Sir Hero, and the neighboring countries were no exception either.

“We pray for Sir Hero to be forever victorious! This is a trifling gift our empire has prepared! Please accept it!”

“Is it comfortable to wear? It is a piece of armor manufactured with our kingdom’s heart and soul. I hope that it will be of help when it is time for Sir Hero to slay the Demon King.”

“How do you do, Sir Hero. Our princess stubbornly insisted on coming to see you. Ah! By no means will you be a live-in son-in-law! Absolutely not!”

The various countries had respectively sent batches of precious gifts and pretty young ladies, their representatives enthusiastically explaining just how good their homeland is to their citizens.

“The Holy Empire is peaceful even after the recent passing of the previous emperor. There is no need for Sir Hero to take the trouble to visit.”

“The Demon King has resurrected, has he not? It would be shameful for humanity to hold back Sir Hero. Our kingdom has extremely low crime rates.”

“The Ocean Kingdom is extremely safe! The nobles subjugate pirates every day. We do not have even the slightest intention to show Sir Hero to our filthy waters.”

I replied with a smile.

“The women aside, I’ll gratefully accept your gifts.”

Regarding women, there were plenty of them in the capital of this kingdom too. The place was bursting with lovely ladies who had flocked over from all over the kingdom, dreaming a life of Cinderella.

There was no need to be fixated on princesses, noble misses and maidens. It didn’t matter whether it be a prostitute or widow, so long as they responded with a smiling face without anything complicated when I extended a hand in weariness.

The important thing was ‘healing of the heart’.

I didn’t think like this from the start either. In the grueling days of the 1st Playthrough, there was a time when I was completely drunk at Tony’s pub, seriously considering suicide. At that time, it was no beautiful princess or Elf who earnestly consoled and dissuaded me from the thought—it was one of those young ladies who could be seen anywhere along the streets.

Salvation isn’t something so far away. You merely turn a blind eye to it yourself.

“The heroes of old were all modest, though…”

“Pitiful creatures they were.”

Brushing aside Lanuvel’s discontent, I scanned through the gifts. Although it seemed obvious they were showing sincerity, there were no elixirs or equipment that would be of practical help to my current self, though I might have used these things if I was around Level 300.

“Porter.”

“Yes, Sir Hero.”

“You deal with all these gifts.”

“Huuh?!”

“Don’t make me say it twice. Equipments and drugs aside, don’t sell the elixirs that raise EXP but eat them all. You’re dead if I catch you selling them. Deader than dead.”

“I’ll take it to heart!”

His valiant reply was to my liking.

If Porter ate those elixirs and armed himself with high-class equipment, he should be well capable of filling in the vacancy left by Alex.

There was now nothing more for me to do in the kingdom.

“Lanuvel.”

“Yes! You don’t need to give me anything, though!”

“Of course I won’t. Are you nuts?”

“…”

“Come on. I’ll show you what a real Hero is. All you need to do is relay what you see and feel to the people.”

“What are you going to do?” asked Lanuvel with a tilted head.

A very good question. It would have been even better if she hadn’t put up that cute front.

I replied while preparing Endymion.

“Achievement work.”

While it wouldn’t be a bad idea to fully enjoy a laid-back country life until my ultimate sponsor, Demon King Fedornar, started looking after me, but the first demon appearance would happen a year later from now.

It was too slow, humanly speaking, so I decided to step up myself.

“Achievement?”

“You’ll find out if you come along.”

Now, it was time to really prepare to graduate.

* *  *

I really did all kinds of things in the 1st Playthrough, such as finding a pet cat lost in a forest by a village girl, procuring a herb for an elderly man that lived alone, delivering a timid wuss’ love letter to his unrequited love… It didn’t pay and no one recognised me for it!

It was all about self-satisfaction. And even in this regard, only my companions had been happy about it while I only accumulated stress from having wasted precious time and faculty of mind.

It was different this time round in the 2nd Playthrough, however; I intended on choosing to do things that were certain achievements.

I had already succeeded halfway in this. Was it perhaps after I had cleansed the kingdom?

The natives of this fantasy world had begun to believe in the rumours regarding the Oblivion Dragon King subjugation, that the Hero who had been summoned for no more than half a month had hunted down one of the Five Disasters all by himself. I just needed to succeed in another fairly big event from now on.

“Sir Hero. Why did we come here?” Lanuvel, who had tagged along, asked randomly.

‘Isn’t the reason obvious no matter where a Hero goes?’

“To solve a problem.”

“Solve the Elf country? Are you going to conquer it or something?”

We were in a Magus Tower built in the heart of Elfheim. With Prince Nasus’ full cooperation, we were able to come to the Elf kingdom’s capital in an instant by using a spatial transfer magic circle.

The cities and villages inhabited by Elves were the very embodiment of fantasy, because whether it be their buildings, benches, pavements, furnitures, ornaments, castle walls… all of these were works of art. Water and Earth Elementals shaped clay into the desired forms, while Fire Elementals fired them like pottery. And this wasn’t all.

The majority of Elven houses had a huge windwheel attached to them—they were none other than windmills.

The feeble-bodied Elves were weak in physical labor without gender distinction, and that was why they mainly used their windmills to draw water or mill grain. It was in this area that the Wind Elementals came into play.

“How rare of you, Lanuvel. Correct.”

“Gasp?! You’re really going to take over?! By yourself?!”

“Ssh! Lower your voice, you ninny.”

“…” Lanuvel covered her mouth with both hands as she nodded.

How had I kept this kind of airhead around me for so long in the 1st Playthrough? I truly even felt respect for the me then.

At that moment, Elves in fancy attire approached us. There was a familiar face among them as well.

“Welcome! Sir Hero, it is good that you have come to Elfheim!”

Prince Nasus welcomed us with a bright smile.

I returned the favor with a smiling face as well.

“Thank you for permitting us entry, Nasus.”

I would have been very much upset if he hadn’t.

“Not at all. Now! Let us go forth. I have prepared a welcome banquet for Sir Hero. I shall escort you myself.”

“You don’t need to go so far…”

“You don’t have to refuse. It is my great honor to receive a distinguished guest.”

Hm. A prince I just couldn’t dislike!

Some would say that bribery and flattery is bad, but material sincerity is the best method of expression.

A formless heart can’t be believed in. Trust is born from material exchange. Crops don’t grow with love alone, no? Good fertilizer, insecticide, greenhouse and so on are needed.

On that note:

“I look forward to the banquet.”

Prince Nasus had shown adequate sincerity. He was a hundred times better than Princess Sylvia who had, despite me killing this kind of brother and setting her on the throne in the 1st Playthrough, given me nothing but lip-service for my efforts.

We made our way to where the banquet was being held.

* *  *

The main diet of Elves were grain and fruits. This wasn’t because Elves were noble or pacifists—when animals were killed or the leaves of plants were torn, the Heart Elementals would be enraged by their ‘pain’ and ‘fear’. As a result, the Elves’ food culture and habits became concentrated in one area.

“Sylvia liked to cook and eat the fish she personally caught, and that’s why she often angered the Elementals. I worried about who would take that troublemaker’s hand in marriage. Though, now I can no longer even worry for her…”

“Ahh, I see.”

I casually went along with Nasus’ words.

The future Elf Queen Sylvia. I had spent a whole 9 years traveling together with her in the past. I had long known that woman to an avid lover of meat, unlike an Elf. Perhaps that was why she was violent?

The dishes in the banquet were mainly comprised of a combination of bread and fruits. The taste was mostly excellent. It was clear to see that as much as they gave up on fresh-tasting materials like meat and fish, they had experimented on bringing out flavor in other areas. Vegetables such as tomatoes, chilli and paprika were used here and there too. So these greens were acceptable?

“Sir Hero. You seem to have become strong,” said Nasus with a meaningful smile. He was a sharp one as ever.

“A bit?”

“Haha! I can only marvel at Sir Hero’s capacity, being able to take down Oblivion Dragon King Noebius with with just ‘a bit’! Now! Please accept a glass. It is a drink made from a fruit that ripens once every century.”

The banquet continued in this manner.

However, my eyes were always chasing the Status of the Elves nearby. Among them, my attention was fixed on the movements of a certain female knight.

▷Race: Half-Elf ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Knight(Loyalty→Fortitude↑) ▷Skills: Fortitude(S) Swordsmanship(A) Elementalism(A) Magic(A) Archery(A)… ▷Status: Resolute, Uplifted

She was the aide of mid-boss Nasus, the 3rd strongest individual in all of Elheim. She had played a crucial part in the success of in Prince Nasus’ rebellion. While the strongest in the kingdom was by far the Elf King, he would be helpless if the 2nd and 3rd strongest were to attack at the same time.

The female knight looked to be in her early twenties, but she was a respected instructor and knight who was the oldest among her race excluding the eternally living royalty, a hybrid who was capable in all aspects. She was extremely proficient in using the right skill for the right situation, and the synergy of her Knight Job and Fortitude(S) was truly nightmarish. She had overwhelmed the entire Hero party by herself at one time—though in the end, she did succumb before the cowardly power of friendship!

Her name was Elf A as I recalled it.

“Eiris. She is my most trusted aide. Being inflexible is her shortcoming, but she knows better than anybody else about the strength of humans.”

“Ah, okay.”

Eiris. I felt like she did have a name like that. Prince Nasus, who had an extraordinarily quick perception, immediately called over Eiris and introduced her to me.

She had transcended the lifespan of an Elf despite not being royalty. It was the power of the training she underwent, and her high Level and Skills. Even with their anti-aging, Elves would look like they were in their middle thirties when they neared the end of their years, yet she was maintaining the sweet appearance of someone in their twenties. And in particular…

“Sir Hero. Does my chest bother you?”

“Mm… a bit?”

It was too large, even for an Elf.

In the 1st Playthrough, I had wondered about this even while I was teetering on the edge of life facing her. The Elf was unlike an Elf.

Eiris responded as if it was nothing much, “My grandmother was a human. She saved my grandfather who was dying from the curse of a demon, and the two fell in love. Grandfather awfully doted on me until he passed away, said I resembled my grandmother very much. My chest in particular.”

“I see he was a gentleman.”

I even felt slight respect at that forwardness unlike an Elf.

“I think it a unique preference, though…”

The female knight gave a wry smile.

With this, however, one of the things I’d been wondering about was solved—the reason why the most respected knight of the Elf kingdom had betrayed her king and sided with the prince to help him rebel.

It was because Prince Nasus hoped for Elves and humans to unite. From Eiris’ standpoint, she had had no other choice.

We enjoyed the banquet for a long time, eating and drinking, and in this manner the banquet was nearing full swing, when…

Bang!

The doors to the banquet hall opened violently, and a string of people entered. The youth at their lead shouted with a twisted look on his face, “Nasus! What is this about!”

There was no Elf that would casually call the first prince by his name—except for one person.

“We were in the middle of holding a welcoming banquet for Sir Hero, Father.”

The prince’s father. That is to say, the current Elf King.

I had no opportunity to meet him in the 1st Playthrough, since he had already died during the rebellion, and that was why I couldn’t see for myself how great a king he was, but…

‘Now, shall I have me a look at his Status?’

▷Race: Arch-Elf ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Rain King(Reputation→Leadership↓) ▷Skills: Elementalism(SS) Archery(C) Swordsmanship(C) Majesty(D) Politics(D)… ▷Status: Enraged

I was flabbergasted. If only looking at the pitiful Skills and their ranks while ignoring his race and Job, I would have thought him an Elf who had barely crossed over Level 999.

Still, he was the Elf King. He was someone whose Level alone at least was fantastically high.

‘Goodness! Who’d have known there was a mound of EXP even easier to take than a dragon whelp!’

The world was wide indeed. I was right to have chosen the Elf kingdom.

“Hero? He is a human, is he not!”

The atmosphere in the banquet hall went cold at the one line spoken by the Elf King.

This place was crowded with the confidants of Prince Nasus. They couldn’t help but react sensitively to the Elf King’s dismissive attitude towards humans. What’s more, the human in question was me—the great Hero who would save the world.

“Father. You are standing before Sir Hero.”

“Hmph! You think I would pay attention to the likes of a filthy human? Nasus. You should be the one snapping out of it. The humans are vermin that murdered your younger sister. Did you not also feel the fear and humiliation carved in that child’s remains through the Heart Elementals? Do you intend on taking the humans’ side despite this?!”

The Elf King jabbed his fingers in my direction, trembling.

‘Can I cut him down right now, I wonder?’

“My king. Sylvia’s death is not the fault of humans. It was merely the natural end of an antagonistic Elf who did not know that greatness is comparative. The fear and humiliation that child felt… it seems she woke up to reality before her death. As a brother, I am simply glad at the growth of my younger sibling.”

“You little! Nasus-!”

Losing his head, the Elf King began to summon Elementals.

And then his summoning was cancelled.

“Y-your Majesty!”

“My king?!”

“Gasp-?!”

The guardian knights and attendants who had accompanied the king let out ear-piercing screams.

As for the Elf King, he looked down before saying, “What, what kind of nonsense is…”

Thud

The Elf King, his chest pierced through by Elemental Sword Endymion, heaved a mouthful of blood as he weakly collapsed.

Level was by no means omnipotent. Not only that, it was more closer to a supplement which augmented Skills, and that was why it was useless no matter how high your Level was if your Skills were poor. Furthermore, your defense would become vulnerable if your Skills were focused on offense. The Level 800 or so Elf archer and tamer I previously killed were good examples.

Me, on the other hand?

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Resistance(SS) Endurance(SS) Physical Strength(SS) Agility(SS) Five Senses(SS)… ▷Status: Satisfied.

My high rank skills were greatly faithful to the fundamentals. I wouldn’t even break a sweat killing an Elf who was as good as a corpse without Elementals.

… Mm?

Everyone was staring at me.

“…”

“…”

Their eyes were sparkling as if hoping for the great Hero, yours truly, to say something, and so I decided to take out my ultimate killing technique from the 1st Playthrough. I had used it often as it had an extremely high success rate. The expression and tone was crucial.

“Dearie me! My hand slipped. Sorry!”

I had golden hands that could even take down companions with two slip ups.

My skills were an accident too.

============================================ ==

============================================ == News of the Elf King’s death dealt a sudden shock to the continent. The personal connections of the Elf King, who had lived for a very long period of time, were exceedingly numerous and deep. In the 1st Playthrough, from the moment Prince Nasus ascended the throne after the Elf King’s death in the rebellion, he was denounced by the people from everywhere across Fantasia’s continents. Following that event, the Hero’s party set forth to attack Elfheim with the aid and support of the Elf King’s friends… This time, however, the situation was largely different.

The likes of the Elf King attacked the great Hero!

And even his reason for doing so was petty. As the truth about the king attacking the Hero ‘first’ because he was human, the matter only blew out of proportion. Even those who knew the Elf King said “This madman is hopeless even with friendship” and kept silent, let alone lament his death.

Things were turning out swell. Nobody was implicating me. There were no problems to my reputation.

▷Fatigued: So you killed the Elf King who fell for the prince’s taunt. The way to persuade another is not by words, but through one’s behavior. Was your action not excessive to be called self-defense? A bow pulled back too far is bound to break.

‘Professor Morals. I see you’re popping up everywhere now.’

▷Negative: I did not plan on coming this time as well. There were several cases of the prince’s rebellion being stopped in advance, but Student Kang Han Soo is the first Hero to personally murder the Elf King. And it happened much too quickly! That is why I have come to investigate.

‘Aha! I’m receiving attention in various ways.

‘Though I would more grateful if you specially let me graduate.’

▷Apologetic: That would be difficult.

Those were the words Professor Morals left before vanishing. It seemed he had really only come to see if the Elf King was killed by me.

‘Damn nagging…’

▷Just Remembered: I will be right back after taking care of the urgent papers. I will be coming by tomorrow at the latest. Please get along with your companions until then! This is a request from me. Understood?

‘Yes! Professor Morals! Don’t worry!’

There were only two companions to speak of, though.

▷Warning: That includes past companions.

Professor Morals left this time for real.

I couldn’t wrap my head around it at all. I had raised up Porter as Alex’s substitute and placed him in an important post in the kingdom. What could be the reason for Professor making such a fuss when there were no problems at all?

In any case…

Humans VS Elves.

The situation had escalated to the point of war breaking out between the two races.

The Elf King’s existence had played an extremely large part in the Elves, who had been suppressed by the humans to the extent of becoming hunting game, maintaining their kingdom. He was someone who had gone beyond the ordinary with his absurdly high Level. Although he was really nothing much in an actual fight, to the humans who didn’t know his Skills were poop, the Elf King was a fear-inspiring character covered in haze who acted as a war deterrent.

But he had died. And there was adequate reason to wage war against the Elves too: Let’s help Sir Hero and smash up the Elves’ country!

… But the busybody Hero showed compassion. He stood up for them saying that not all Elves were human-abhorring nuggets of EXP like the Elf King and thus, the sparks of war quickly died out.

Of course, I hadn’t worked for free. I ate EXP, made an achievement, gained fame, received gifts, and women too… Mm. Anyhow…

“Amazing.”

I felt like I could appoint Prince Nasus as my second sponsor; though, I wouldn’t be getting any support ever once I returned to Earth this time.

Still, amazing things were amazing.

“Are you talking about me?” asked Female Elf knight Eiris coyly, lying sideways on the bed. I did bully her quite a bit from last night after the banquet ended. Noticing my gaze, she dragged up the blankets which had slipped down and barely covered her curves.

‘… But it is amazing, isn’t it? Elf chests are supposed to be like LCD monitors.’

“Of course, you’re amazing too.”

I strongly supported the union of humans and Elves. An amazing hybrid would be born if only the advantages of the two races were joined. Eiris was proof of this.

The eyes of young ladies would turn starry if I introduced myself as the Hero in a human kingdom. Emphasizing their own sexual appeal was a given.

The Elf kingdom was different, however; the Elven ladies might be curious about me, but they didn’t view me as a potential lover. Not wanting to give up, I had met with countless Elf women in the welcome banquet, but not a single one of them had thrown me even a jokingly flirty glance. 100% pure Elves were a lost cause, however…

“It’s been a really long since I’ve had a man.”

Eiris, whose blood was one-fourth human, had sneaked a dirty peek at my ‘Excalibur’ and giggled. Her husband had died during sexual intercourse about 2 years back. It was a tragedy that struck within two days of their marriage—the man couldn’t handle Eiris whose passion was unlike an Elf’s.

Having abruptly become a widow and because the Elf men kept away from her, Eiris couldn’t even enjoy a one night stand, let alone remarry… for no less than 2 thousand years!

“I rested well thanks to you, Eiris.”

“Did you really have a rest? I’m exhausted like a water-drunk Elemental, though.”

“I’ve rested very well. My weary heart, that is.”

A bit of the stress which had piled up due to studying them morals was eased.

“… You can’t let up a single moment when it comes to the exciting verbal expressions of humans. May your days ahead be only full of blessings, Sir Hero who is hot like fire and hard like rock.”

“Thanks.”

After exchanging a deep kiss for the last time with Eiris, I left the bedroom and swiftly prepared to leave—there was no reason to further stay in Elfheim. I had easily achieved my objective in coming.

Hunting the Elf King.

This was why I had said “amazing” to myself. While the Elf King was really quite pathetic, he was far higher up than the Oblivion Dragon King in terms of pure Level. And that was boosted fivefold with the Hero’s perk! I had instantly gained an immense amount of EXP greater than what could be had by an ordinary Hero killing all the Five Disasters alone.

“This standard of equipment can be considered outstanding too.”

Nasus, who had ascended the throne in a natural manner, had given me an assortment of things as thanks: helmet, armor, necklace, ring, earring, potion… It would be difficult to obtain more arms and consumables than this in a short period of time; they had to be custom-tailored. I had to search through ruins or scrounge up high-quality materials by hunting, and go find a legendary blacksmith or alchemist. Putting aside that it would be troublesome, it would take a lot time to do so.

“Sir Hero~!”

Deep, dark circles under her eyes, Lanuvel came over running after spotting me. As an archaeologist with a curious heart, she must have went around the entire Elf kingdom through the night; after all, she had done so in the 1st Playthrough as well. This was because Elfheim was the one place that even the well-knowledgeable Lanuvel hadn’t visited before.

For a long time the Elf kingdom had been closed off to the outside world. Its cities, villages and so on were beautiful like art on the outside, but there was really nothing to it all if you looked just a bit closer. Politics, economics, techniques, philosophy, art, music… Everything had been preserved according to convention dating back to ten thousands of years. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to call them modern cavemen who had rejected civilization; though, that might seem attractive to scholars.

“Lanuvel. Did you have a good look at the folk village?”

“It’s not enough. Give me just a few more days! Even if it’s one more!”

“No can do.”

Timing was always important. As of present, it was widely known that I had subjugated the Oblivion Dragon King who had laid waste the half of the middle continent, and that I had meted judgement to the incompetent previous Elf King. As such, I had to take down the Demon King as well before my current popularity cooled down.

I would be able to get an A-grade in reputation at this timing. While I was slightly uneasy regarding achievement, the related requirements were bound to be satisfied in the process of wiping out demons in the Demon King’s territory.

“Sir Hero. Even when I’m asking you like this?”

Lanuvel gazed at me with sorrowful, upturned eyes. She was putting up the cute act even stronger than usual. It seemed the Elf country was considerably to her liking.

However…

“If you like it so much then live here.”

I deflected her flimsy pretty-woman attack with a single snort.

“Aww…”

Lanuvel and I, the former pouting like a pufferfish, used a spatial transfer magic circle to return to the kingdom whence we came.

Something good had been going on there as well.

* *  *

“Congratulations, Porter. What did I tell you, that it would go well, right? Even a princess beloved by the people is nothing without a man to protect her. Someone like you is a more than worthy match.”

“Sir Hero. So I was thinking you should call me by name n…”

“I’m so happy for you! Subordinate A!”

“Ah, okay.”

A marriage between the timid Subordinate A and the beautiful princess! Their relationship which had been making no progress had developed at the speed of lightning from the moment news of the Elf King’s death spread. It seemed the Dumpling King and the nobles had persuaded the princess and as a result, they had already even spent their first night together.

“What gratifying happy events.”

“Sir Hero. The bride’s expression is dark, though?”

Upon hearing Lanuvel’s indication, I examined the Status of the princess who was just entering the wedding hall amidst applause.

▷Race: Human ▷Level: 73 ▷Job: Princess(National Strength=Charm↑) ▷Skills: Charm(B) Coquetry(C) Song and Dance(D) Sociability(E) Eternal Youth(E)… ▷Status: Resigned, Tense, Expectant, Worried

Her Level and Skills were excellent, and her status was extremely good too. You couldn’t only be excited and happy getting married for the first time, could you? Newly-married life, childbirth, postpartum recovery, problem of succession… There was a great mountain of worries to be had from now.

“Lanuvel. It’s your worthless imagination at play. Just clap instead.”

“Aww… okay.”

Clap clap clap!

Clap clap!

The beautiful wedding ceremony was nearing its end; however, at the moment the bride and groom were about to exchange vows after having put on their wedding rings…

Crash-!

A youth kicked open the doors to the wedding hall, intruding without permission, and caused a commotion yelling, “I object to this marriage!”

Palace knights joined the scene after him.

“Catch that punk!”

“What mischief is this?!”

“Interrupting this sacred marriage…!”

The youth causing a problem was something I remembered. In the 1st Playthrough, he was Mercenary B who convinced the princess, whose political marriage had been decided with an allied country, to flee under cover of night to a country that had no relation to either side. An outstanding mercenary, he was a rather renown young man of influence.

But that was all. From my perspective, Mercenary B was a strong-armed ruffian hitting on the princess who often left the palace to play with her maids.

Shiing-

I unsheathed Elemental Sword Endymion. I couldn’t find a single reason nor need to spare that barbarian who had interrupted this sacred marriage.

“Wai-, wait a moment!”

The kind-hearted princess began to plead for the the youth to be let off. Although it felt like the verdict had been made too hastily, since spilling blood in the wedding hall was bad luck, it was decided for the matter to be closed with him being chased out.

Immediately after the disturbance ended…

“That man. He must’ve dearly loved the princess.” Lanuvel spouted something strange.

“Love? It’s obsession born from a filthy desire to possess.”

Subordinate A’s formerly bright but now stiff expression drew my attention. Tsk-tsk! How his heart must ache… But then suddenly, I recalled Professor Morals’ request for me to take good care of my companions.

“Yes, that’s right…”

I never left future troubles be no matter the occasion.

* *  *

Mercenary B, who was beaten and then chased out of the wedding hall, didn’t give up. After receiving first-aid from a healer companion, he secretly snuck inside the palace under the cover of darkness. His objective was the bride’s bedroom—he was targeting the woman who had only just married. As a righteous Hero, I couldn’t turn a blind eye to this, could I?

Stab!

Elemental Sword Endymion pierced through Mercenary B’s neck.

“Kagh-! He-, Hero…!”

“Punishment for the home wrecker.”

Envying and trying to steal another’s beautiful bride? Just what kind of monkey was he to be unable to contain his lust and emotions?

But even that was now finished. I reduced Mercenary B’s corpse to almost nothing, turning it into a handful of dark matter.

“Now, isn’t this a strange feeling?”

It feel cool and refreshing inside, as if I had drunk a cool glass of cider! I simply felt great despite that taking care of this kind of home wrecker didn’t add to my achievements or help reputation in any way.

I wished for Subordinate A to become happy.

“Mm. Feels good.”

It was definitely a sign telling me that I was doing good. It felt like I had drawn closer to the epilogue.

* *  *

The Hero and Lanuvel wished Subordinate A happiness before parting with him. It was with light hearts that the two set their foot upon Demon Lord Fedornar’s vast territory. There would be no stopping from hereon—until we reached the Demon King’s castle.

“Lanuvel. You keep your ass safe in the back, and then later on spread far and wide the awesome tale of how the great Hero, yours truly, wiped out the demons. You can do that much with magic, right?”

“Probably…?”

‘My lady Earth. I’m coming to meet you now.’

=========================================== ==

=========================================== == My achievement work progressed smoothly. As I found it bothersome to go around killing demons one by one, I dispersed deadly venom over the entire territory of the Demon King which was located southernmost in the middle continent. Although there would be some loss of EXP, my Level had come too far for small increments to count anymore. Rivers, lakes, the sky and so on quickly became contaminated.

Thud.

Flop.

All the living creatures in the region collapsed feebly.

While it was far lacking compared to Oblivion Dragon King Noebius’ dragonbreath, my antibodies had created a new poison in the manner of fighting fire with fire. Its strong point was that it was colorless and odorless. It was a poison made for the timid Hero who wants to kill some bastard no matter what, but hesitates because of reputation and potential controversy. It was extremely effective against demons too.

▷Shocked: I do not know where to begin.

‘Ah! Professor Morals. It’s only natural to not know. It’s so perfect that there’s nothing to point out, right?’

For the officer-level demons who endured the deadly poison, I carried out the service of going to them myself. There were no obstructions because I had personally studied their hideouts, weaknesses, characteristics, the method to defeat them and so on in the 1st Playthrough. Now, all that awaited me was the battle against Demon King Fedornar.

I felt new sentiments, the reason being that, in the 1st Playthrough, I had marched towards the Demon King’s stronghold in an inefficient way while humoring my bothersome companions. They had held parties every other day, for some reason, when all they did was lynch the Demon King… But there was no need to do so in this 2nd Playthrough.

The demons of the middle continent who were helplessly done in by the poison I had dispersed received a blow that drove them close to extinction. It would be difficult for them to make a comeback in the future, let alone invade humanity. This result was a stark contrast to the deeds of past heroes who had at most organized troops to barely defeat the Demon King alone. I was guaranteed to get an S-grade for achievement and reputation.

▷Troubled: The demons do not matter.

‘Professor Morals! That’s the main point, though?!’

▷Sigh: Student Kang Han Soo. Was the cute and pure princess not to your liking? Even if you cannot walk your way to attain love, you must crawl. Although a somewhat unsavory incident did occur, there was still enough possibility for you to become joined with the princess. They say nothing is more important in love than opportunity…

‘Yes! She wasn’t to my liking!’

At present, I was strong to the point of not needing to be careful around others. If I had truly favored the princess, I would have already pushed her down to call dibs. Why the hell else would I have given her away? I simply didn’t think much of her.

Even those countryside gals in Korea were less boorish than that exalted princess. Still, she had a nice body so one night might have been alright? But the bunch called princesses were quite strict regarding purity and chastity. One wrong move and you could be caught by the nose. That would be troublesome.

▷Quiet: Ah, yes. I, I see. I apologize for meddling needlessly…

‘Not at all.’

▷Encouraging: Hm hm. Now only the result awaits you. This is my final advice to you. If you accept the world as it is, then the world will gently embrace you in return. Please cherish this world a little more. Well then, I pray for your fortune and graduation.

‘Yes yes. Thank you. So how many points did I get?’

▷Farewell: Even I cannot tell how your grades will turn out. Scoring is outside the authority of the teaching staff, after all. I taught you for a shorter time than expected, but you did a good job listening to my lectures.

‘Thank you for your hard work too, Professor Morals!’

I looked back on the things that happened in this 2nd Playthrough. Combat ability, achievement, reputation, character. Although there were several dangerous situations that occurred outside my expectations and plans, because I had prudently handled those cases with swift improvisation, I was confident that I lacked not a single thing in those four grading categories.

“Lanuvel.”

“Yes, Sir Hero.”

Lanuvel, who was in charge of spreading the news of my deeds far and wide, replied in a nervous tone. Perhaps she had grown on me, but I decided to give her some words of blessing at least since the end was near.

“You worked hard during this time too.”

“Wha… whaat?!”

“You’re a weird chick who blindly flirts with the Hero, but thanks to that I wasn’t bored throughout the journey. Meet a bachelor of a rich household who can cope with your spending and give birth to a child that doesn’t look like you, and live happily.”

“It feels like I’m being insulted in a roundabout way?!” protested Lanuvel.

This girl was noisy even when given some good words.

“You’re imagining it. I’m going alone from here on. I won’t let you off if you end up dead by needlessly peeping in to cheer me on and leave a scar on my record.”

‘I’m going to strip you bare and hang you on the wall as decoration if that happens.’

“Aww… Take care, Sir Hero.”

“Alright.”

I slowly walked through the empty corridor. In the 1st Playthrough, the Demon King’s castle was full of the flesh and bone of humans and demons, but the current atmosphere was calm—the castle’s residents had all evacuated. Each and every one of the demons had run away to avoid the poison I dispersed throughout the territory. Only the Demon King was stubbornly defending his throne. It was a truly favorable situation.

“Hm~ hng~𝅘𝅥𝅮”

The corridor was like a highway that was as clear as my heart—no one stood in my way. A huge sacrifice was made to break through this barrier in the 1st Playthrough. The heroes who had gathered from all over Fantasia’s continents, leaving behind their families, had burned themselves out for the Hero’s last battle. I had felt a prick to my conscience every time one of them fell.

‘My weakness is what caused that to happen.’

I did have an excuse for it, albeit poor. Those so-called companions of mine in the 1st Playthrough had constantly interfered in my growth, and caused trouble day in and day out. But oh how they loved to play despite all that… If I hadn’t had my time unnecessarily taken away back then, I would have grown strong far more quickly—just like now.

I had shouldered everything by myself. I didn’t ask for the life and sacrifice of complete strangers. There were no widows, no unfilial sons and daughters, nor orphans this time.

“… It’s perfect.”

My performance was more excellent in all aspects compared to how I did in the 1st Playthrough. While I did feel that my combat ability was lacking greatly, it wasn’t to the extent that I couldn’t defeat the Demon King.

Reputation, achievement, character. There was nothing that was of concern. The natives of this fantasy world were busy praising me even at this moment. It was thanks to Lanuvel, whom I had appointed as my promotional ambassador, diligently delivering news of my feats.

The examination was finished. There was no reason that I wouldn’t be able to graduate.

“Now… well then.”

Before me were large doors which had the same design as they did in the 1st Playthrough. Beyond these doors, Demon King Fedornar was waiting for me, the Hero.

I grew excited in my heart once again. I had shortened 10 years journeying and made it here again. I had also played to the tune of that suspicious bunch called teaching staff for the sake of returning to Earth. I was confident that I had truly done my best.

At this moment, I gave a hard kick at the sole obstacle standing in my way.

Crash-!

“Ahem! Don’t you know to even knock? A hero without etiquette, I see.”

My biggest sponsor, Demon King Fedornar, was composed even though his subordinates were wiped out. No, it was beyond composure; he was even enjoying himself leisurely. An event which I hadn’t witnessed in the 1st Playthrough was currently in full swing.

“D-, don’t stare so hard…” a naked Elf implored me in a tiny voice.

… Perhaps Elf males are ridiculously incompetent? The females of this race were either making hot love with a member of another race or caught by them, sometimes both, on every other occasion.

I looked at the Status of the Elf before me and became convinced of it.

▷Race: Elf ▷Level: 482 ▷Job: Queen(Favor→Devilishness↑) ▷Skills: Charm(S) Devilishness(S) Singing(S) Elementalism(A) Archery(A)… ▷Status: Pleasured, Embarrassed, Climax

Her Job was Queen. She was without a doubt the Elf King’s wife who was kidnapped by demons; however, I couldn’t find a trace of her being restrained or beaten on her body. Her posture of hugging the Demon King’s neck with both arms was also far from being forced. There was no signs of brainwashing or drugs in her Status either. It was a very ordinary relationship.

Princess Sylvia had said to me “My mother was cruelly murdered by the demons!” in the 1st Playthrough, but it seemed that that was a speculation on her part.

The truth was truly cruel indeed.

“Ahem hem-!”

After tidying his disheveled clothes, the Demon King attempted to turn around the atmosphere as he coughed dryly in an exaggerated manner.

“Well, I understand your feelings, Sir Demon King.”

I smirked as I responded to his cough in a way only gentlemen could understand. It must be dreary waiting for the Hero to come while sitting all day long on the throne. It was natural for even the Demon King to have one or two hobbies. Hobbies deserved to be respected.

“Oh hero of legend. Humanly speaking, aren’t you too fast?”

Demon King Fedornar, who had quietly sent out the Elf queen with a face full of regret, blamed me with an amazed tone.

What was wrong with being fast? I couldn’t tell the Demon King’s real intention.

“I’m human to begin with, though?”

I had merely acted as a human would have done. There is a unique culture in Korea of Earth; inquiring the wellbeing of someone’s parents when they are being frustrating. This punk, that punk… (TN: Specifically, it’s called 패드립(roman: paedrip) and literally means immoral(or family) joke. It’s a crude way of insulting another by including their family members in a nasty joke. It’s generally frowned upon.)

You had to move speedily if you wanted to be a dutiful son or daughter. Doing this much was a given since I had even gone back in time.

“Oh Hero. It has only been a month since you were summoned, if I remember.”

“22 days to be exact.”

“…”

“Why?”

“Oh Hero! The heroes of past times harbored dreams and hopes with the companions they shared bitter and sweet times with, and stood before me at the end of their adventure. They had shone with brilliance! But not only do you not have companions, you are trying to challenge me without even the Holy Sword. Why is that?”

“What an idiotic question.”

The Demon King should already know the answer.

“Because I think I can best you even without companions or the Holy Sword, yeah?”

▷Race: First Demon ▷Level: 999+ ▷Job: Demon King(Hero→Level↓) ▷Skills: Evil Miasma(SSS) Immunity(SS) Swordsmanship(SS) Immortality(SS) Indestructible Body(SS)… ▷Status: Post Nut Syndrome, Puzzled, Wary

It was truly magnificent… when ignoring that retarded Job, that is. He was capable of chewing up all the continents of Fantasia by himself, yet that Job was the only thing holding him back.

He would receive a Level penalty when fighting against a hero. The reduction of Level meant a drop in the effect of all his Skills. No matter how high ranked your Skills, the overall efficiency would fall with a low Level.

That was the reason why the Hero was the hope of humanity. It wasn’t possible to defeat Demon King Fedornar with standard tactics. How would you possibly defeat a monster armed with the highest Level in this fantasy world, SSS-rank Evil Miasma and other SS-rank Skills?

There were many strong individuals in Fantasia’s continents if you searched hard. Like how the terrible Five Disasters existed, there were also numerous powerful guardians who protected humanity. These guardians never meddled in worldly affairs, saving their strength while keeping an eye on nothing else but the activities of Demon King Fedornar like stalkers. They were stronger than I was in my prime—but they weren’t capable of winning against the ‘First Demon’.

“Haha! Oh Hero, you are truly arrogant!”

Laughing wryly and standing up from his throne, Demon King Fedornar taunted me with a beckoning finger.

Was it because I, the Hero, didn’t have the Holy Sword? The Demon King didn’t draw the Demon Sword hanging by his waist but instead left it as an ornament. It was plain to see he was looking down on me.

“Then, I won’t stand on ceremony.”

I drew Elemental Sword Endymion.

Screech-!

A horrifying wail echoed from the sword’s blade as it vibrated. Contained inside it were numerous Heart Elementals that were corrupted by the resentment of those countless demons I slaughtered until now. I had a hard time taming them as they were severely defiant.

“Oh Hero, what is the name of that Demon Sword? It is my first time witnessing such vigorous energy.”

“It’s Elemental Sword Endymion.”

“…”

Demon King Fedornar was shocked speechless. Now that was a rewarding sight to see!

“My cute partner. You’re ready, right?”

‘Let’s show that arrogant and presumptuous Demon King our fantastic combination!’

Screech-!

* *  *

Demon King Fedornar, whose Level had dropped sharply, wasn’t my match. I won as easily as twisting the wrist of a young child. Not metaphorically, but literally.

“Kugh?!”

The Demon King cried out for the last time and toppled down—he was beheaded after just three exchanges of blows since the fight began.

Flop, thud.

A final showdown that was almost too disappointing. The Demon King had panicked, unable to get used to his drastically reduced Level, and fell without even having the chance to even adjust. This… was outside my expectations.

“Haha! So that’s how it was! I see it now. The Demon King’s penalty! It drops his Level to match the Hero!”

I could tell after having fought him twice.

If the Hero was Level 1, then the Demon King would also be Level 1.

If the Hero was Level 30, the Demon King would also be Level 30.

If the Hero was Level 5000, the Demon King would also be Level 5000.

What a spectacular Job penalty it was.

This was the reason. Why the Demon King had helped me grow stronger against his will—possessing numerous Skills of high rank, the Demon King would hold a greater advantage in proportion to how high the Hero’s Level became, while the opposite would put him at a huge disadvantage.

“Peh! I suffered like a dog for nothing. What a trashy adventure, really…”

▷Sir Hero. Was the adventure enjoyable?

‘Yes! It was an extremely rewarding adventure! I’ll continue working hard even after returning to Earth!’

▷The path of a genuine hero is truly difficult, but you met countless people who became encouragement for you who did not lose your hopes and dreams. From them you learned friendship and love, and after maturing together with them you defeated the wicked Demon King at last. Congratulations truly!

It was the same speech given in the 1st Playthrough. Although I wanted to point out that the speaker was too insincere, I silently waited for the result as that might end up losing me marks.

And finally…

▷Shall we look at your grading now?

This was the moment of truth.

“Come on, pleeease…!”

=========================================== ==

=========================================== == ▷Please check your report card carefully! ▷Name: Kang Han Soo ▷Combat Ability: A+ ▷Achievements: SS ▷Reputation: E ▷Character: F- ▷Note: Graduation would spell danger for Earth and the other heroes!

‘Oh sir respected Examiner! Please give me time to explain! I’m going to live quietly on Earth. Think about it sensibly. There’s no way I’d destroy the home planet I was born and raised on right? Where would I live if it disapp…’

▷You have failed to pass.

‘The hell! Just why!’

▷Reason: You did not reflect upon your past and repent but instead abused it. Putting aside right and wrong, excessive violence draws animosity and causes fear. For the sake of the world’s order and peace, you shall be returned to the first day of the test.

▷Beginning re-test.

Light enveloped my body.

▷The entire teaching staff will adjust the course contents. ▷All of the teaching staff are anticipating your growth. ▷Blue Falcon Hero monitoring elevated to a higher level. ▷A specialist instructor will be dispatched.

* *  *

“Welcome, Sir Hero!”

The lovely voice of Lanuvel who couldn’t read the mood provoked my ears. Seeing her putting up a cute front again with that grating expression and tone which I’d taken pains to fix, it sunk in that I had gone back in time again.

“Is this 3rd Playthrough for real…”

I truly hadn’t seen this coming. The protagonist of a fantasy novel or movie who failed in life would only be given one more chance and that would be the end, and yet I got to regress 2 times despite my clear success in life having killed the Demon King. What kind of crappy rice-cake of a sweet potato development was this? If this was written into a novel, it would 100% get dissed by the readers and go up in flames.

“Excuse me, Sir Hero? Have you come to your senses?”

“No.”

I felt as if I would collapse from high blood pressure.

“Is, is that so! Sir Hero, please come to your senses soon! You’re very confused at being summoned abruptly without even a warning, aren’t you? This is Fantasia. A different dimension from the world where Hero-nim was born and raised in. It must be unreasonable to hope for you to immediately understand. I’ll start explaining things one by one from now.”

I was hearing the same explanation for the 3rd time from Lanuvel. What bullshit was she spouting before the great hero who cracked Demon King Fedornar’s skull once, sent his neck flying once and returned…

“Oh my! I forgot to introduce myself. I am Lanuvel. I am the archaeologist who received a prophecy in the middle of a journey of chasing the ancient legends, and summoned Hero-nim. Lanuvel means the ‘truth’ in ancient language.”

I was hearing that goddamned ‘truth’ self-introduction for the 3rd time as well. Not a single word was out of place. If I were to start off by killing Lanuvel here, wouldn’t this 3rd Playthrough, which was proceeding the same as the 2nd Playthrough, turn out new? I seriously considered that direction of events.

▷Fright: Please hold it in! A single word can spoil a matter, and one person can even stabilize a country. Student Kang Han Soo. Please do not kill an innocent companion from the start with the purpose of venting or changing the mood!

‘Ah, Professor Morals. We meet again.’

▷Consoling: It is truly regrettable. One thing of comfort, at least, is that Student Kang Han Soo is the first to achieve an SS-grade in any subject. Perhaps it is because you subjugated the Oblivion Dragon King and defeated the Demon King within 22 days? Your name will be recorded in the hall of fame and remain forever! I sincerely congratulate you!

‘Enough of that kind of lip service. My heart is on the verge of being charred black like a piece of dried filefish left atop a grill all day long.’

“Excuse me, Sir Hero?”

“…”

I couldn’t begin to even grasp where I’d gone wrong in my adventure. I had brought out the best result within the shortest period of time with the least amount of casualties. This wasn’t my subjective opinion, but an objective judgement. And yet, the D-grade in reputation I had received in the 1st Playthrough had dropped to E in the 2nd. It was an impossible phenomenon.

The only thing I could guess why was the Oblivion Dragon King ‘bus ride’—half of the middle continent being destroyed was likely the reason.

No one knew the truth that I had woken up the Oblivion Dragon King, but it was fact that the half of the middle continent was ruined. A person who could judge the matter rationally would understand, saying, “What could someone who’s only been the Hero for ten days do”, but not those people who had lost their beloved families. They would surely want to resent somebody.

“I’m completely a neighborhood drum…”

The job called hero made for a good sandbag. It was the same in the 1st Playthrough—I had painstaking saved the lives of people, but there weren’t just few bastards who went insane trying to find their lost belongings and missing family members. There was even a time when I saved a woman who was stripped and about to be raped by a hairy bandit, yet she went on screeching about me taking responsibility for having seen her naked.

The fault would always be turned to the Hero. The Hero’s reputation had been falling from the moment I couldn’t slay the Oblivion Dragon King when it awoke and civilian casualties occurred. It was the height of irrationality and absurdity.

“Excuse me, Sir Hero? His Majesty is waiting…”

“Shut your trap for a bit.”

“Aww…”

I gently pressed on my temples after silencing Lanuvel. I wasn’t in the mood to humor the Dumpling King right now, but these people didn’t care for something like the Hero’s mood.

Clank.

One palace knight who had been watching stepped forward. This part was turning out the same as in the 2nd Playthrough too.

“Sir Hero. I understand that you are confused, but we have delayed too much. His Majesty is waiting. Let us go now.”

… How did I reply back then? Ah!

“I’m also waiting.”

“What?”

“Blockhead, listen well. How many heroes are there in this world who can slay the Demon King?”

“Two,” the palace knight replied without having to think much.

Just as he said, there were two… Two?!

“Excuse me, how do you do? I’ve been calling out to you from a while ago but you didn’t reply… I lived in Seoul, Korea, and I’m a high schooler. I’m 17 years old, and my hobbies are gaming and reading.”

A fresh-looking youth spoke to me. He was wearing a crap-colored school uniform different from mine. His ordinary egg-shaped face had no noticeable features aside from his black, horn-rimmed glasses, and his small build and lack of muscles suggested that he wasn’t particularly fond of exercising in his daily life.

But I couldn’t tear my eyes away from him.

It was because of the pure-white nun costume-wearing character drawn on the case of the smartphone half poking out from the male student’s uniform pocket. Beneath the character’s skirt, which was open at the sides of her thighs, was a black fishnet stocking and garter belt. She was a beauty clad in an outfit which combined the divine and the immoral.

It was just for a single moment, but I felt a sense of longing. The character’s occupation was a Saintess. That smartphone case was a character item modeled after the female protagonist of a role-playing game I had briefly enjoyed in the past.

“Ha, haha… This is a small hobby of mine.”

“I see.”

It was an excessively bold accessory to be called a small hobby. I could tell clearly that he wasn’t an ordinary fellow unlike his looks, at least. As for his Status, well…

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Interpretation(A) ▷Status: Expectant, Hopeful, Excited

It was all normal and only his condition slightly abnormal. It seemed like he was more than composed and was even welcoming this situation despite having been abducted to god knows where by suspicious people in medieval attire. Was he misunderstanding the situation for a hidden camera prank?

“May I have your name?”

“… Ahh, right. Look at me being out of it. Kang Han Soo. I live in Korea…”

Clank!

A palace knight made his armor give off a grating sound of metal as if hinting at something. I was feeling better at having met someone from home, but I swept a glance around me and frowned at the interruption—this situation wasn’t to my liking at all.

“Let us go quickly.” The palace knight spoke in a low tone, fixing a hard threatening stare on me.

I was about to take out the 0.3mm mechanical pencil in my uniform pocket, but stopped. It was too risky to show attitude like I did in the 2nd Playthrough.

There were two heroes; my rarity had greatly fallen. This fantasy world wouldn’t be ruined even if the uncooperative Hero A was killed and Hero B was recruited.

Still, there was hope yet. If we heroes mutually assisted each other and dragged the king to the a table of negotiation…

“Yes! Sir Knight! You hurry too, Mr. Kang Han Soo! A mission to defeat the Demon King and save a fantasy world! Wow! I’m looking forward to it already!”

Hero B, who was having the time of it by himself, urged Hero A. Not only was Hero B not going to cooperate as fellow heroes, he was fully intent on working with his neck on the line free of charge for these barbarians.

Hero A felt the onset of a headache.

“Now now, first calm down and…”

“It should be hard for fantasy world natives to pronounce Korean names, so please call me Sieg. How about you make a new name for yourself as well, Mr. Kang Han Soo? Ah! You can’t use Sieg though. I took it first.”

“…”

His speed of adjusting to this world was mad.

Hero Sieg. I could easily guess where he picked up that name from—the protagonist of the same game the Saintess drawn on his smartphone case belonged to was called ‘Sieg’. In the main story, Sieg would later marry the Saintess.

I could feel this fellow’s desire in its entirety.

“Look here.”

“It’s Sieg.”

“… Right, Sieg. Don’t you want to see your parents? Your friends? Won’t they all be worried about you?”

“Not really. It’s fine?”

“…”

I should have realized it when he threw away the precious name given by his parents for a worthless reason.

This guy was definitely a social reject.

“Mr. Kang Han Soo. Don’t worry.”

“About what?” I asked Sieg, genuinely curious. What could I be worried about when just not too long ago I returned from taking Demon King Fedornar’s neck?

“I will protect you.”

“… Haah?”

This punk, was he for real?

I rubbed the back of my neck as I tried to calm my stress. The joy I’d felt towards a fellow hometown person had already disappeared to nothingness. Just where had the teaching staff picked up this kind of unfilial bastard…

▷Content: He is a hero candidate carefully selected for the lost student Kang Han Soo. A surprising ability to adapt despite not having even undergone a regression, yes?

‘Professor Morals. It’s beyond surprise and at the level of cultural shock.’

Sieg was currently vacantly staring at the healthy buttocks of Lanuvel who was walking briskly in the lead, seeming utterly unaware that he was kidnapped.

… Could I have been the same as him in the 1st Playthrough? If so, I would seriously want to consider suicide.

▷Praise: Student Kang Han Soo is an acknowledged hard worker even among the teaching staff. We have judged that you are fully capable of graduating as long as you have a friend who will properly direct your efforts. It is said that people are strongly influenced by their environment. I pray that you will take after your friend and be reborn as a wonderful hero!

I understood the intention very clearly. I wanted to flip out in my heart, but…

▷Race: Arch-Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Interpretation(A) ■■F ▷Status: Irritated

Nothing at all could be done about the Status reset that came with the regression.

Wobble-Wobble

Although the situation wasn’t despairing because I remembered Master Mollang’s teachings, but as one human being, it was tiring to be told to start from the beginning again.

In any case…

“Just what exactly is this Black-Box… Mm? Ohoh…?”

“Mr. Kang Han Soo, is there some problem? Black-Box?” asked Sieg. Rather than being genuinely worried about me, he had merely needed an excuse to escape the embarrassment of his eyes meeting Lanuvel’s while he was staring at her behind.

“… No. It’s nothing.”

Not a single thing had changed. My 2nd Playthrough hadn’t been meaningless.

I hadn’t forgotten.

* *  *

Perhaps it was thanks to Sieg who was cooperative towards those kidnappers? Unlike the 2nd Playthrough, Alex’s test of courage event didn’t happen in this 3rd Playthrough. Matters progressed smoothly following the kidnappers’ intention.

We learnt etiquette at the entrance of the king’s audience chamber. The old noble who was teaching us was shocked at my perfect display of the kingdom’s etiquette, but he didn’t drag on the time with nonsense like in the 2nd Playthrough—it was because of Sieg’s clownish attempts at decorum. Thanks to that, I wasn’t bored either.

Creeak-

The firmly shut doors to the audience chamber opened.

“Heroes! I welcome your arrival in my lands!”

The Dumpling King’s complexion had regained its brightness along with time being rewinded. To think in the 2nd Playthrough, his face had turned blue like a rotten dumpling after the execution of his wife and two sons.

“Hello! Your Kingliness!”

“Phf.”

“Pfft!”

Sieg’s lamentable greeting caused irrepressible laughter to burst out among those present. I didn’t ridicule the fellow, however; anyone would make mistakes at first. I was the same in the 1st Playthrough too. Nevertheless, I had no intention of lowering myself to his level.

“Thank you for the warm welcome, Your Majesty.”

“Huh!”

“Ohh!”

The nobles exclaimed in admiration when I had my turn.

I calmly disregarded their compliments. It was enough even with the 2nd Playthrough, but this was my 3rd time. My 3rd time going over etiquette as well. I wouldn’t be a normal person if I couldn’t do it.

“Heroes. Are you able to see your abilities?” the Dumpling King asked with an expectant tone.

Sieg replied first.

“Yes! My race is Arch-Human, Job is Hero. Special perk is fivefold EXP. Skill is Interpretation(A). My status is… extremely good!”

“I can see it very clearly.”

I could see it almost too clearly. It was a bit difficult because I had too many Skills, though.

▷Race: Chaos Human ▷Level: 1 ▷Job: Hero(EXP 500%) ▷Skills: Battle Spirit(SSS) Evil Miasma(SS) Resistance(SS) Chaos(SS) Deadly Venom(SS)… ▷Status: Reverting

Black-Box’s F-rank effect had activated. My body that was covered in uniform rejected oblivion and returned to how it was in the past. The ‘Evil Miasma(SS)’ I had obtained immediately after defeating Demon King Fedornar was proof.

I was about to start the 3rd Playthrough.

In the state I was in right after slaying Fedornar.

My prime state in the 2nd Playthrough!

‘It’s a pity my level wasn’t recovered.’

I didn’t worry that much about Level, however—there were plenty of EXP nearby, weren’t there?

“Sieg! And… Kkang Han Ssoo? Oh Chosen Heroes! Danger is upon this country which lies near the territory of demons! I beseech you to slay the demons, raise your abilities, and defeat Demon King Fedornar!”

The beaming Dumpling King requested us to work for nothing, and enraged at this, we…

“Yes! Your Kingliness! Leave it to us!”

“…”

Sieg replied vigorously in the affirmative without even asking for my opinion. He even dragged me into it in a natural manner.

‘… Screw being fellow countrymen, should I just kill him?’

But it was with sage-like understanding that I firmly endured. Professor Morals had said I could easily graduate so long as I followed around this extraordinary fellow, after all. I wasn’t so foolish as to rip apart a graduation certificate that was waiting for me.

After taking in a deep breath, I curved my lips into a refreshing smile and played along to Sieg’s tune.

“Yes, Your Majesty. Entrust everything to us and rest easy.”

‘Forever.’

I was done preparing.

▷Panicked: Student Kang Han Soo, just what are you…?