Ch.60Chapter 60. Obsolete Hero Lee Garam

When I surrendered to the floating sensation caused by gravity, I was greeted by light.

As I was freed from that dazzling brightness, enthusiastic cheers welcomed me.

An elderly man in elaborate clothing appeared before the crowd, as if representing them. He stood confidently before me and declared:

‘Oh, Hero. You are destined to save this world! We will help your greatness shine as much as we can, so please display your magnificence freely.’

It was a moment when I, who had always been ignored at school, encountered something that seemed straight out of the fantasy novels I read to escape reality.

At first, I felt anxious about whether I deserved such treatment, but I somewhat adapted during the months of preparation.

Yes, originally I should have completed my adaptation, had a brilliant debut, and begun writing a glorious narrative as a Hero, but…

-Murmuring.

About ten days after completely botching that debut.

From the moment I stepped into the tavern, I was overwhelmed by an unwelcoming atmosphere. Garam Lee became intimidated and began watching their reactions carefully.

‘Yeah, everyone recognizes me.’

It was inevitable.

That day, I had caused a major incident that drew everyone’s attention, and because of that, my name, appearance, and the details of the incident must have spread everywhere.

No wonder the Heroes who came after hearing I was carried to the holy city with a heart attack laughed at me.

‘Hey, I heard you lost to an adventurer?’

‘You got scared and collapsed all by yourself… Pfft, what a great thing to do with a Hero title~’

As a rule, Heroes should command adventurers and reign over them.

In a world where this was considered common sense among Heroes, someone who ruined their monumental beginning was branded as exceptionally inferior.

Since I was such a laughable existence, they thought it was fine to treat me with the same contempt and mockery as Foreign Laborers.

‘When I went down to the guild earlier, everyone was whispering about that incident. Do you know what they called you? The Failed Hero.’

‘Pfft~ Well, with those abilities, you couldn’t even properly complete your initiation, so such treatment is deserved~’

‘Oh, and this news must have reached the noble who’s sponsoring you. If they hear about this, they might be so disappointed they’ll cut off your support.’

Collective and exaggerated criticism.

Though I was quite familiar with it from my previous life, familiarity doesn’t make it any easier to accept.

Even if I can endure it, pain is still pain.

I lived through such persecution in my previous life, and I didn’t want to fall to such a state in this world too.

‘What happens if you don’t get noble sponsorship? Obviously, you’ll have to return your Hero badge and be thrown out onto the streets.’

‘But is there anywhere that would accept someone who can’t properly use their abilities even if they have them?’

‘So if you really want to make up for it, try to achieve results quickly. I heard a dungeon was just discovered, why don’t you try going there?’

‘Well, I’m not sure if a Failed Hero like you can do it, but anyway. Hahaha!’

Yes, I need to achieve results quickly.

Otherwise, all their words will become reality, and the opportunity I finally grasped in my second life will disappear forever.

‘I came back to the guild for that… but everyone still hates me.’

While they may harbor ill feelings toward those called Heroes, there seemed to be many who saw a Hero who couldn’t easily lay hands on them as an “opportunity.”

Though they couldn’t directly confront me due to innate power differences, they could certainly gossip or mock from a distance.

‘If I suppress them with power…’

Sometimes I was tempted to use my abilities in such an atmosphere, but even that was suppressed by the fear deeply rooted in my past, remaining just a thought.

‘No, what if it happens again? I could really die this time.’

Believing myself invincible was only at the beginning.

With my confidence plummeting from the start, I couldn’t harbor thoughts of wielding power recklessly.

So I tried to gather companions without using force, maintaining a passive attitude.

As this void lengthened, countless self-consolations repeated in my timid heart to convince myself.

‘Originally… suppressing people with power is wrong.’

Even with power, there are lines that humans should not cross.

Perhaps receiving the derogatory title of Failed Hero allowed me to be honest about such aversion—it was one of the few consolations for a girl who hadn’t yet become an adult.

Even in my previous life, I was criticized for “having no merit except being kind,” but for now, staying true to such feelings was more comfortable.

“Excuse me, is anyone willing to form a party with me?”

After wandering through various guilds for hours, receiving contempt from adventurers.

Finally, Garam Lee found the last member to join her party at the tavern of a guild she had visited ten days ago.

“Um, excuse me. If you don’t mind, would you join my party?”

A spearman wearing black armor with a spear on his back.

He had been staring at me with slightly rigid eyes since we met, and now he pressed his mask down further, concealing his face, and answered in a low voice.

“…Let me hear what you have to say first.”

It was a very small voice.

Along with the mask hiding his face, it was as if he was hiding something.

‘Is he very shy?’

Garam Lee felt curious about the man but didn’t find him suspicious.

For a moment, she wondered if he might be the “Hero Hunter” because he used a spear, but his outfit was different, and he lacked the menacing aura from that time.

Moreover, the Hunter’s appearance was still vivid enough to appear in her nightmares daily, but she felt nothing like that from the man before her.

‘Yes, if he were the Hero Hunter, he would have tried to kill me as soon as he saw me.’

After all, he got that name because he killed every Hero he met.

The fact that she survived then was purely due to luck, and if this man were truly the Hero Hunter, it wouldn’t be strange if he recognized her and attacked immediately like before.

The fact that he didn’t was reason enough to team up with him.

“Ehehe~”

When Garam Lee smiled brightly, feeling she had recruited the last companion to follow her, the stoic man sitting opposite her put his hand on his mask and asked:

“What’s making you so happy?”

“Oh, well… I finally found the last member needed for my party.”

“…You’ve already found other party members besides me?”

“Yes, yes. They’re all kind people…”

Garam Lee glanced up, keeping her head lowered.

But by then, he had already turned his gaze away from her and was looking at the tavern scenery.

Even then, rather than clearly looking at anything, he was just staring at passing people with an expressionless gaze.

“Um…”

Could it be that he didn’t like her?

Did he accept the party only reluctantly or by accident?

“Excuse me, would you like something to eat or drink? I’ll pay for it, whether it’s alcohol or food. I have plenty of money…”

“No, I’ve already eaten, so it’s fine.”

The masked man pointed to the empty plate and glass in front of him.

Feeling she had lost the opportunity to ease the atmosphere, Garam Lee looked dejected, and the man who was resting his chin on his hand glanced at her and spoke.

“Quest.”

“Pardon?”

“Seeing how urgently you’re gathering people, it seems you’ve taken on a mission from the guild. Is it true that Heroes are offered different quests than regular adventurers?”

“Ah, yes. Yes, that’s right! So the quest we’ll be taking on this time is…”

As soon as a topic of interest was mentioned, her words flowed freely.

Afterward, Garam Lee rapidly explained everything related to it and showed him the request form she had been carrying.

“So to summarize, there’s a newly discovered dungeon, and we’ll share the rewards obtained from investigating it. The distribution ratio is about this much… Is that okay?”

“…”

“Um.”

“Is this acceptable?”

“Yes, pardon?”

“I asked if this ratio is acceptable.”

The masked man pointed to the part where the ratio was written.

Understanding what he meant, Garam Lee tried to calm her nerves and smiled awkwardly as she replied.

“Yes, I’ve already discussed this with the other party members…”

“Did those party members refuse to join unless the ratio was increased this much?”

Typically, in parties centered around a Hero, it’s standard for the Hero to take the largest share.

However, the contract stated that all party members would receive equal shares of the reward.

Anyone could see that due to her infamous reputation as a Failed Hero, no one wanted to party with her, so they exploited this to increase their share.

“…Um, is the ratio too low?”

But Garam Lee misunderstood his point, and her face gradually turned pale.

As if she feared being abandoned more than the issue he was pointing out.

“Then, even if I have to give up some of my share…”

“No.”

The masked man immediately stopped her desperate words.

Then, pressing his mask deeper over his face, he answered in a heavy voice.

“I’ll accept these terms for now, but I’d like you to introduce me to the party members right away.”

“Oh yes! I’ll introduce you right away.”

Though he seemed to change the subject rather abruptly, the fact that he was actively joining the party was a good thing.

Feeling that she had finally taken her first step, Garam Lee clenched her fist and steeled her resolve.

‘Good, I’ve gathered all the necessary companions, and finally, my first quest.’

She was determined to achieve meaningful results in this dungeon exploration and prove that she could pull her own weight.

‘Well, can I do well?’

But such determination weakened as she recalled her initial failure, and eventually, her footsteps toward the destination came to a halt.

She feared that if she failed again, she might repeat the same experiences from her previous life in this one too.

“Just a word of advice.”

He approached her as she stood there motionless, gently placing his hand on her head and speaking quietly.

“Have confidence. You may be young, but you’re a Hero and the leader of this party.”

The rough and hard texture of his ungloved hand.

It told of the many hardships he had endured, yet there was a gentleness in the way he stroked her head.

Both his current advice and his manner… could he be trying to comfort her?

“Ah, um…”

Feeling his sincerity, Garam Lee’s face reddened as she pulled up her cloak and said:

“Thank… thank you. For encouraging me.”

“…”

“Um.”

“Let’s continue on our way.”

“Oh, yes!”

The masked man, who had been quietly gazing at her before continuing on their path.

Though there seemed to be a glimpse of guilt in his eyes, Garam Lee ultimately dismissed it as her imagination and introduced him to the companions she had recruited earlier.

For whatever reason, she felt hopeful that things would go well with this man by her side.

***

After the Failed Hero and the masked adventurer following her disappeared.

A Hero who had been leaning against the tavern wall watching them began to narrow her eyes.

“Hmm~ Despite being a Failed Hero, it seems she managed to gather all her party members.”

Hero Sujin Kang.

She was one of the Heroes summoned at the same time as Garam Lee, but unlike Garam who was treated as a Failed Hero, Sujin had succeeded in clearing high-rank quests after her debut.

To her, the actions of her peer Garam Lee didn’t look good at all.

If she already had the Failed label, she should have stayed that way. Why was someone who failed to prove her qualifications from the beginning trying to climb up without knowing her place?

“By the way, that man’s equipment and weapon look quite good…”

The malice stemming from her displeasure was also directed at the man accompanying Garam.

As she watched his back, she gradually formed a sinister smile and muttered while snapping her fingers with a click:

“…Should I just kill him and take it all?”

That Failed Hero will surely attempt to explore the newly discovered dungeon.

There would be plenty of opportunities to betray her.