Chapter 20 – What is a Hero?

Read ​on ​KatRe​ading​Cafe

As I sat bound, looking around the room and trying to calm my nerves, the door slowly opened. Noah entered again, his familiar footsteps echoing. He walked in leisurely, picked up the documents on the desk, and began to skim through them.

“Even when you’re awake, your gaze is sharp.” he said with a smile. “Are you still holding onto your pride as a saintess?”

I glared at him, gritting my teeth. “Don’t think you can do whatever you want just because I’m tied up.”

Noah didn’t respond to my words. Instead, he flipped through the documents with one hand and said, “Hmm… Saintess? No, no, soon you won’t be a saintess anymore. Just an ordinary… insignificant human.”

His words made my body tremble. “What… what are you planning?”

Noah placed the documents back on the desk and tapped the table with his finger. 

“It’s simple. I’m going to erase the concept of heroes and saintesses, and even the system of ‘belief’ that makes them possible. I’ll completely wipe the existence of ‘heroes’ and ‘saintesses’ from everyone’s memories.”

“What?” I shouted, shocked. “Do you really think that’s possible?”

Noah nodded and walked toward me. 

“Of course. The preparations are already complete. I’ll manipulate everyone’s memories through a worldwide perception-altering spell. And once that happens, no one will be able to become a ‘hero’ or ‘saintess’ anymore. The foundation of belief itself will disappear.”

I struggled against my restraints and shouted, “What do you even gain from doing this? Why are you doing this?!”

Noah tilted his head and smiled. 

“What do I gain? Well… to put it simply, I’m freeing this world from the constraints of balance. Don’t you think a world where people suffer and sacrifice in the name of heroes and saintesses is wrong?”

“So you think you can just erase the rules of this world as you please?” I couldn’t hold back my anger.

“As I please?” Noah scoffed. “You don’t seem to understand. I’m merely executing what needs to be done. If heroes and saintesses disappear, everything will become more equal. The so-called ‘divine selection’ was a lie from the start.”

He spread his palm, and a magic circle appeared in the air. The circle was complex, covered in countless ancient runes and patterns. 

“This is the ‘World Memory Alteration Spell’ I’ve prepared. Once this spell is activated, everyone will forget the concept of ‘heroes’ and ‘saintesses,’ and no one will ever be able to become one again.”

I glared at him and shouted, “Don’t you realize how terrible this is? What kind of future are you guaranteeing by doing this?” (T/N: We also do not understand, please explain why it’s terrible, our oh-so-generous saintess…)

Noah smiled and said, “The future? I’m destroying the rules of this world to create a new beginning. And you, Saintess, will be the first witness to the new world I create.”

He raised his hand, making the magic circle glow even brighter. “Shall we begin?”

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As he lowered his hand, the magic circle filled the room, emitting a blinding light. The light shot up into the sky, piercing through the ceiling and walls, spreading out into the universe.

The energy radiating from the magic circle spun violently, as if it would swallow everything in this world. The ground shook, and the air trembled. The light mixed with dark energy, creating a fierce vortex, and ancient incantations echoed endlessly from the center of the magic circle.

“This is… insane…” I muttered, overwhelmed by the sight.

The light from the magic circle grew even more intense, and it wasn’t just physical light. It was a force that burrowed into people’s consciousness, memories, and beliefs, erasing everything. 

I twisted my body, trying to break free from the restraints, but my wrists and ankles were bound even tighter.

“Now, everyone will forget.” Noah said with a smile. “Heroes, saintesses, and even your holy power… it’s all over now.”

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However, after the spell was activated, something unexpected happened. As the light from the magic circle gradually faded, Noah nodded in satisfaction. But soon, his expression twisted.

“What’s this…?” Noah muttered, walking toward me. He looked at the faintly glowing energy around my body with a puzzled expression. “This is… holy power???? Why… is it still here?”

I looked at him, breathing heavily. “Seems like… your plan wasn’t perfect after all.”

Noah frowned and examined the magic circle again. “This shouldn’t be possible… The concept of heroes and saintesses should have been erased from everyone’s memories. So why hasn’t your power disappeared?”

He took a step back, his face filled with confusion, and muttered, “Ah… it’s because of the past.”

He then smirked and walked closer to me. 

“The reason your power remains is that the concept of a saintess is older than that of a hero… no, it’s a belief rooted much deeper. Even before people believed in heroes, saintesses were revered as sacred beings. In this world, heroes can disappear easily, but saintesses can’t be erased so simply.”

I gasped and asked, “So… your plan failed?”

Noah shook his head and instead wore an expression of even greater determination. “No, this is just the beginning. If I can’t erase the current belief, then I’ll go back to a time before that belief was formed and fix everything.”

“What?” I was horrified by his words. “Do you really think… that’s possible?”

Noah raised his palm and reactivated the remnants of the magic circle. 

“Of course it’s possible. According to my research, magic that allows one to travel through time and space already exists in this world. It’s now my job to fully understand and execute that technology.”

He then lifted an orb and smiled faintly. 

“But you won’t be around to see it. By the time I rewrite the past, you’ll already be a forgotten existence.”

With those words, Noah activated the orb, creating a massive magic circle. The swirling light at the center of the circle enveloped him, and soon, he was gone.

“Noah!” I struggled and shouted, but he had already disappeared. The room fell silent, and I lost consciousness.

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When I opened my eyes, a familiar voice reached me.

“Eli! Snap out of it, are you okay?”

I slowly turned my head and saw Claire sitting beside me, looking at me with worried eyes. Sion, Linda, Ruan, the spirit, and Selena were also there.

“Claire…” I called her name softly, trying to sit up. But my body felt heavy, and my head still hurt.

“Move slowly.” Sion said, supporting me. “What happened? You suddenly collapsed… and the magic circle disappeared…”

I took a deep breath and said, “Noah… he… he’s trying to go back to the past. He said he’ll erase everything by returning to a time before the concept of a saintess existed.” (TN: Okay, first of all, do they know who tf is noah? Second of all, I want to die.)

Everyone’s expressions hardened at my words.

“The past…” Sion muttered quietly. “Do you really think that’s possible?”

Selena nodded at his words. “It’s possible. This ruin was built for that very purpose.”

“What?” Claire asked, shocked. “This ruin… has that kind of function?”

Selena calmly began to explain. “This ruin was created by the first hero, Eli, and me. At the time, we engraved powerful magic here. So that when a future crisis arises, we could return to the past and fix it.”

“So this ruin is a device to travel to the past?” Ruan asked cautiously.

“It’s similar to the reverse concept of teleportation,” Selena nodded. “Instead of moving away from the present, it’s a device that allows you to travel back in time. But…”

“But?” I held my breath, waiting for her to continue.

“This device can only be used by two people.” Selena said gravely. “And no one can guarantee what future the users will face inside it. The two chosen must protect each other and complete the mission, no matter the cost.”

Claire held my hand and said, “Then I’ll go with you. I can’t let you go alone.”

I looked at her and nodded. “Alright. Let’s go together.”

“Sion, Linda, and Ruan, stay here and support us.” I asked them. “Investigate any traces Noah left behind or other clues here.”

Sion nodded firmly. “Understood.”

Selena quietly walked to the center of the ruins. She stood at the heart of the magic circle, raised her hand, and began to activate the magic. Light began to fill the room.

She looked at me and said, “Eli… when you go to the past, you’ll meet me. And trust me. And…” She paused for a moment, then gave a faint smile.

“I… loved you.”

The light from the magic circle grew brighter and began to envelop me and Claire. The light was so blinding that I couldn’t see anything, and it felt like my body was floating in the air.

Then, everything fell silent.

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When I opened my eyes, I was standing on a crimson land. The sky was dyed red, and in the distance, I could see massive walls and ruins.

Claire, beside me, gasped and said, “Is this… the past?”

I slowly stood up and looked around. Then, I heard someone’s voice in the distance.

“Who are you?! This is no place to wander into!”

The voice was firm and intense. Instinctively, I turned my head toward it. In the distance, a man in a black cloak was walking toward us. His gaze felt like it was piercing through me.

‘Are you a monster???’

Author Note

A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.

Translator Note

T/N (Translator’s note):
Next time, I’m reading at least 15 chapters ahead before deciding to translate something.

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