I gathered my thoughts and spoke.

“Anyway, if we can recruit Serein too, we’ll have added two party members at once.”

“That’s true. Lisel’s already on our side.”

“Yeah. If everything goes smoothly, Kaeld will be left all alone.”

“A critical turning point, then.”

At those on-point words, I nodded.

Tension subtly rose on everyone’s faces.

If we took care of Kaeld before the divine prophecy descended, the prophecy would have no choice but to name me the Hero.

Then I’d become the real Hero in both name and deed.

“So? Where are we going now?”

“Hm?”

“To recruit her or whatever, we have to meet first, right? How do you even know where Kaeld is right now?”

“Hmm. Give me a moment to think.”

I leaned back in my chair as I spoke, then addressed Trail.

‘Pull up the map.’

[Huh? Sure.]

A screen soon appeared.

<Mide Mohan – Accumulated Fame: 85,760>

<Kaeld Wake – Accumulated Fame: 45,170> ᴛʜɪs ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ ɪs ᴜᴘᴅᴀᴛᴇ ʙʏ novelꜰire.net

As expected.

[What’s ‘as expected’?]

‘Last time, Kaeld’s fame was 27,980. If it’s shot up this much in such a short time, that means he made another big move recently.’

I said that while carefully studying the map.

The southern part of the continent.

There, a new plume of black mist had risen.

‘Just as I thought—Dronoar Territory.’

Chances are, like in the original timeline, Kaeld healed the Lord of Dronoar.

Assuming he’s still moving from there…

I rolled my eyes to scan the map.

To the south of there, the map was already full of Kaeld’s black mist.

Rather than revisit a place he’s already marked, he’d likely aim for areas still untouched.

‘Hmm. West is ocean, so that leaves east or north.’

If he headed north, he’d get close to the capital.

And right now, my fame in the capital was quite literally glowing.

‘He’ll avoid getting near the capital. Running into my fame would be a huge disadvantage for him.’

[Heh. You used to be too intimidated by his fame to even head south, and now the tables have turned.]

‘Exactly. So that leaves east.’

The problem is, heading east would bring him to Hasphil territory.

[So? What’s wrong with that?]

I scratched my head.

Out of nowhere, I felt like giving up on everything and retiring.

Seeing my face darken, Adwin asked,

“Hyung? You okay?”

“Kaeld’s probably headed for Hasphil .”

“Hasphil, Hasphil …”

Xenia and Offense chimed in.

“Isn’t that place known for… well, nothing? No real specialties, not even good location.”

“It’s a really poor territory too. Barely any crops.”

“Heard it’s mostly mountains and rough terrain.”

“Definitely sounds like a backwater.”

Ugh, this kind of mood makes it awkward to say.

With a light sigh, I finally opened my mouth.

“Still, there is one famous person from there.”

“Yeah? Who?”

“The Sword master of No Killing.”

All eyes turned to me.

“It’s my hometown.”

The carriage fell silent for a moment.

Then, in perfect sync, everyone said:

“I’ve heard Hasphil is a beautiful place.”

“Herbs from there are known to be incredibly potent.”

“And the people—so kind and warm. I’ve always wanted to visit. What luck!”

What a quick turnaround.

Neril leaned toward me and whispered,

“I didn’t say anything.”

Meanwhile…

After healing the Lord of Dronoar, as per the official notice’s quest, Kaeld thought he could finally catch a breather.

He glanced across the table at Serein, who was sulking while picking at her food.

“This is awful. Lisel was so good at cooking.”

“No point talking about someone who’s already gone.”

She turned away from him toward her bowl without replying.

‘Looks like she’s got a lot of resentment built up.’

Like losing the Fake Hero’s sword when Offense betrayed them.

Or how his fame actually dropped even after stopping the earthquake.

Those things, she might’ve swallowed.

‘But.’

Somehow, Mide had even managed to win over Lisel Vint—the one person Serein believed was absolutely unshakable.

That must’ve been the final blow.

She was probably now wondering: ‘Could this guy really make my wish come true?’

He couldn’t afford to lose Serein, the only party member he had left.

While Serein focused on eating, Kaeld glanced at the official notice.

‘So what now?’

Just following these quests… was that really enough to defeat Mide?

The thought barely crossed his mind when—

Crackle.

New lines began forming on the board.

<Mandatory Quest: Kill Mide Mohan. Absolutely.>

‘Oh?’

A quest that perfectly aligned with his own thoughts.

‘Still, killing Mide won’t be that easy…’

As if in response to that concern, a new message appeared:

<Warning: If the two parties clash now, victory is unlikely.>

<Hint: Break the seal in Hasphil territory and activate the Gem of Destruction.>

<Crush Mide’s party with the Gem of Destruction.>

This is why the official scroll could be trusted.

Whenever he had a doubt, it was right there with a perfect solution.

‘Wait… Gem of Destruction? Never heard of something like that in Hasphil.’

Well, he’d find out once he got there.

The notice board seemed just as determined as he was to kill Mide.

Once he arrived, more instructions would probably follow.

He’d have to hurry.

He was just about to tell Serein to get moving when—

<Warning: If you break the seal of the Gem of Destruction, Serein Magnus’s loyalty will vanish completely.>

Kaeld nodded to himself.

‘Yeah, her wish can only be fulfilled if I become the Hero.’

No matter how twisted her personality, she wouldn’t accept the Hero unlocking the Demon King’s seal.

‘Should I temporarily split from Serein?’

As if anticipating that thought, more lines appeared:

<Warning: Lisel Vint is looking for a chance to persuade Serein Magnus.>

<Ensure Serein’s heart remains firmly on your side.>

Lisel wants to persuade her?

No way. Serein wouldn’t be swayed.

Mide, being all saintly and upright, would never agree to abolishing the cleric class.

‘Still… better safe than sorry.’

After a moment of thought, he spoke.

“Let’s temporarily disband the party.”

“…What?”

“I’ve got something to take care of. We’ll meet up later.”

“What kind of thing?”

“It’s personal. You’re free to do as you like for now.”

“……”

“Let’s meet back here in this territory in about a month.”

Serein silently stared at him.

Kaeld shrugged and continued.

“Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten your wish. I will abolish the cleric class from the continent.”

“……”

“You don’t look convinced. Well, I have been getting outshone by Mide lately.”

“I won’t deny that.”

“But there’s one fundamental difference between Mide and me.”

Kaeld lowered his voice slightly.

“When I heard the northern Hero was the ‘Sword master of No Killing,’ I looked into him.”

“You really do love background checks, huh?”

“I looked at everything—appearance, age, skills, records. Even some useless stuff.”

“……”

“Turns out the Sword master of No Killing donates to clerics monthly. Seems pretty devout. So you can guess why he insists on ‘No Killing,’ right?”

Serein was listening quite intently.

Kaeld went on.

“He won’t fulfill your wish. If you bring it up, he might even scold you.”

“……”

“Me, on the other hand? I despise clerics just as much as you.”

“Why?”

“Too many reasons. Want me to tell you a few?”

Then Kaeld spent the next ten minutes ranting about the hypocrisy of clerics and how horribly they had treated him.

Serein listened carefully to every word.

Kaeld checked her expression now and then, confident he had firmly secured her trust.

But in reality, Serein was thinking:

‘So boring… please shut up already.’

We rode for over a week before finally arriving in Hasphil territory.

Terribly outdated roads.

Tiny, shabby castles and homes.

Villagers in ragged clothes that clearly hadn’t known prosperity in generations.

Everything was exactly how I remembered it.

Adwin awkwardly spoke up.

“W-wow, the scenery here in Hasphil is breathtaking!”

“Cut it out. Don’t force it.”

“Ahem.”

“You don’t have to sugarcoat it. This territory’s going to become famous anyway—after all, it produced the Hero.”

Neril chuckled and asked,

“So what do we do now?”

“First, let’s find somewhere to stay. We’ll plan things from there.”

“Got any inns you’d recommend? You should know the area.”

“Why would I? I left the territory when I was eight.”

That made everyone’s eyes go wide.

More precisely, they sparkled.

Xenia even shifted in her seat with excitement.

“Come to think of it, we don’t know anything about your past, Mr. Mide. You took your first big step into the world at age eight, huh?”

“You can just say I ran away from home.”

“…I was trying to phrase it nicely.”

“Anyway, there’s not much to tell. I wandered around doing odd jobs for a few years and joined a mercenary guild when I was ten. Been a merc ever since.”

Offense spoke up.

“Who even gives a job to a ten-year-old kid?”

“Not all mercenaries spend their time on battlefields. I got by with petty jobs—guiding parties, hauling luggage. Got my first sword at twelve.”

“That’s still pretty early, though.”

“Anyway, after rolling around like that, I ended up handling some major tasks too. Before I knew it, I was a top-grade mercenary. That’s pretty much my whole backstory.”

An awkward silence lingered for a moment.

I scratched my head and added,

“Anyway, point is—I don’t know any good inns around here. So I’ll take you somewhere else instead.”

“Where?”

“My house.”

If it’s still standing, that is.

Fortunately, my house was still where I left it.

But calling it a house felt generous—it was more like a ruin.

Spiders had spun webs across the ceiling like they were staking ownership, and the unstable, decaying door looked ready to fall apart any second.

It was the kind of place you wouldn’t enter even if someone paid you.

But my party sat down without so much as a grimace.

‘Are they just being considerate?’

The warmth in my chest caught me off guard.

“Sorry I couldn’t bring you to a better place.”

“It’s fine. You picked this place for a reason, didn’t you?”

“Huh?”

“You’re trying to recruit Serein—Kaeld won’t just sit back. A fight is inevitable, so of course you’d pick somewhere deserted.”

Neril had read me exactly right.

The others nodded with knowing smiles.

I scratched my head again and spoke.

“Thanks. Anyway, let’s get down to business.”

“Before that—just a second.”

Adwin raised a hand.

“What is it?”

“Sir Grade keeps poking me in the side.”

“…Come again?”

“He seems to have something to say.”

I was so taken aback I just stared at him.

“Oh come on, not again! Why does he always get to open the Gate to the Underworld first?! How does that even make sense?!”

“He says don’t get so worked up. Should I call him?”

Adwin’s arm began to glow.

A moment later, Grade van Handman, the First Hero, appeared and spoke.

“It’s been a while.”

“Nice to see you. Now kindly get lost.”

“Still as rude as ever, my servant.”

“How am I your servant?”

“You should consider it an honor. Enough talk.”

Grade glanced around.

“Is this some kind of livestock pen?”

“This is my home, actually.”

“Hmm. My apologies. Anyway, I needed to check something—pardon the intrusion.”

“Go ahead.”

“Is this… Hasphil territory? I believe that’s what it’s called in this era.”

Everyone’s eyes lit up with interest.

Even I was surprised the former emperor would know the name of some backwater territory.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Then leave this place. Immediately.”

“…Sorry?”

“This place contains the Demon King’s Gem of Destruction.”

I tilted my head.

Not once, in all my lives, had I ever heard that Hasphil was hiding the Gem of Destruction—even when I was traveling with the Hero’s party.

Offense asked,

“What do you mean, sir? Weren’t you the one who destroyed the Gem of Destruction?”

“Heh. Destroy the Gem of Destruction? That’s a contradiction, don’t you think?”

“But the history books say—”

“Would you sleep soundly at night knowing the Demon King’s core still existed? I shattered some random gem and declared it was the Gem of Destruction. That’s all.”

I rubbed my forehead.

“Lies. So many lies.”

“You don’t understand how things were back then. Humanity was facing the Demon King for the first time. People were committing suicide by the thousands every day.”

“……”

“As the future emperor, I had to calm them somehow. If I went back in time, I’d do it the same way.”

We fell into silence.

Then Neril asked,

“Why didn’t you destroy the real gem?”

“It was too big.”

“That’s a weak excuse for someone with a party full of heroes.”

“Come. I’ll show you.”

Grade stood.

We silently followed him outside.

And then we saw it—a mountain so tall, it seemed to pierce the heavens.

Mount Baharma.

The only thing remotely famous about Hasphil.

Its eternal snowcap and the clouds gently wrapped around it made for a breathtaking scene.

Grade pointed to the mountain and said,

“That is the Gem of Destruction.”

“…Hah.”

“Why are you laughing?”

“I can’t exactly scowl at a former emperor’s joke, can I? That’s the burden of a subordinate, I suppose.”

“That was no joke, you impudent servant.”

He continued in a more serious voice.

“That mountain you call Baharma is the Demon King’s core.”

“…How?”

“The Demon King couldn’t contain his core inside his own body. It was simply too massive.”

“……”

“We killed the Demon King, but never found the core in his remains. One of my party members, a priest, prayed to the divine and received an oracle. That’s when we learned the truth.”

He said softly,

“That mountain is the Demon King’s core.”

“…Unbelievable.”

“Back then, Hasphil was untamed wilderness. We rushed here. The core was already starting to stir, preparing to resurrect.”

Gulp.

Xenia’s swallow was loud and clear.

“So we sealed it. The priest in my party cast the grand rite of ‘Purification’—at the cost of his life.”

“…You mean Hermes Meim, don’t you.”

“Yes. Though the public was told he died in the final battle against the Demon King.”

He couldn’t hide his bitter smile.

But he soon shook his head and added,

“Well, he’s probably lounging around comfortably in the underworld now, so no need for those faces.”

“……”

“Sorry to say, but I don’t think your paladin here is on Hermes’s level. If that seal is broken, no one will be able to stop what comes next.”

Xenia didn’t argue or look hurt.

“I’m just honoured to be compared to him at all.”

“You’re an optimistic one.”

“But why are you assuming the seal will be broken?”

“You’re not very bright, are you?”

“Could you please pick one? Compliment or insult?”

Grade clicked his tongue.

“Didn’t you say the Demon King has already descended in your era?”

“Yes and the fake hero too…”

“Exactly. If it’s that bastard, he could very well break the seal Hermes died to place. If he finds out you’re here, what do you think he’ll do?”

“……”

“If it were me, I’d break the seal and use the core’s power to crush you all. If you think you can withstand the might of the Demon King of Destruction, be my guest.”

He let out a long yawn.

“Anyway, that’s all I came to say.”

“Ah, thank you so much. Now, goodbye.”

“I didn’t say I was leaving yet.”

“…What?”

Grade scratched his head and asked,

“So, uh… how’s Lisel doing?”

Serein had been granted extended leave, but with nothing to do, she spent several days lazing around in her inn room.

But there’s only so long a person can stand doing nothing.

After a week, she finally burst out of her room.

‘Come to think of it, I’ve been avoiding alcohol just to maintain my image.’

Tonight, I drink. No holding back.

With that decision, she started walking.

Then suddenly, a familiar, and deeply missed, voice called out:

“Serein.”

“I wasn’t going drinking! I swear!”

“…?”

“…Wait, what?”

She had answered without thinking, and spun around in surprise.

She hadn’t sensed a thing—but Lisel was standing just a few steps behind her.

Read advance chapter on Patreon. Click here.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep