Ch.92Chapter 92. Two out of Four, One out of Two.

Authorities, by nature, tend to have arrogant personalities to prove their authority.

In that sense, among the heroes present, Garam Lee and Taeyang Lim were suitable targets for the malice harbored by other heroes.

Garam still suffered from the aftereffects of being labeled a “fallen hero,” while Taeyang Lim, despite his title of Great Hunter, looked completely disheveled.

His appearance—wearing nothing but a paper bag and an old straw mat—hardly matched someone called the strongest…

Wouldn’t anyone think the rumors were false or exaggerated?

‘If I take him down, the title of strongest hero will be mine.’

With such thoughts, one hero arrogantly tried to charge at him.

-BANG!!

But before he could, Taeyang Lim’s fist smashed into his face.

Unable to withstand the force, the hero was knocked away.

“Huh? What?”

Shock was painted on everyone’s faces.

Even the hero who got hit couldn’t comprehend what had happened.

Before he could even charge, Taeyang Lim, who had been sitting absentmindedly, had rushed at him first and struck his face.

“You bastard…”

Whatever the case, that guy attacked first.

-CRUNCH!

But as he tried to draw his weapon in outrage, Taeyang Lim’s foot stomped on his hand, blocking the action before it could begin.

“You son of a—!”

-THWACK!

Even his attempt to swing his leg was deflected by a kick.

When Taeyang approached to occupy his upper body, the hero swung his hand, but even that was easily deflected by Taeyang’s mana-infused hand.

“Hey, wait…”

Taeyang Lim blocked both the initial killing intent and subsequent resistance as if he had anticipated them.

When the clenched fist was aimed at his face, the hero finally understood the situation and shouted desperately.

“Okay, I get it! I don’t know what’s going on, but I’m sorry, so stop now!”

Though he hadn’t acted yet, he had indeed harbored hostility, giving him reason to feel guilty.

Taeyang Lim silently looked at this sincere plea, then withdrew his hand and quietly stood up.

He turned around silently, intending to return to his original spot.

Watching from behind, the hero, unable to contain his rising anger, prepared to grasp his weapon again.

‘This son of a…’

How dare this beggar-looking ruffian lay hands on his noble body.

-BANG!!

Before he could release his emotional outrage, he was hit by Taeyang’s afterimage-like kick and embedded into the wall.

As his body went limp from the internal shock that made his eyes roll back, those watching began to express their astonishment.

“W-what’s with that guy? He’s so one-sided against someone who didn’t do anything…”

“No, is that what’s important? A fully armed guy just lost to someone who’s practically naked?”

“Maybe that guy is just weak?”

“Then why don’t you go and find out yourself?”

Indeed, the current exchange was enough to crush all such evaluations.

The rumors were true, and the man before them was stronger than any hero present.

This assessment was indisputable precisely because “he had no equipment.”

-Rustle.

When Taeyang Lim turned his head and the eye holes in his bag faced them, all the heroes immediately stiffened and began avoiding his gaze.

He didn’t say anything.

Without expressing any emotion, he just silently stared at them.

“W-we were just watching.”

“Yeah! We didn’t do anything!”

At first, some might have been tempted by similar thoughts, but after witnessing the one-sided exchange, their hostility had vanished.

Taeyang Lim withdrew his attention from them and returned to his original spot, staring blankly out the window when they seemed to accept this as truth.

Yes, that man could detect hostility from those in front of him.

Garam, who had been watching everything from the beginning, was convinced of this.

‘He sees through everything.’

The moment he senses even a little hostility, he blocks the opponent’s actions.

He even predicts and counters any subsequent counterattacks… that was a level impossible to achieve merely through combat experience.

‘Could it be mind-reading ability? Or something that appears like…’

“What’s going on? Why is it so noisy here?”

Startled by the sudden voice, Garam stopped his thoughts.

Looking behind him, he saw a man with a helmet carrying a spade entering the meeting place.

With an appearance as distinctive as Taeyang Lim’s, but with a contrasting cheerful atmosphere.

“What’s that? Why is he lying there? Did a fight break out?”

“Nam Jaseong, you bastard!!!”

A hero rushed at him as soon as she recognized him, grinding her teeth.

The name she mentioned was one Garam knew as well.

The man before him was none other than the culprit of the recent sensational “Cardinal Murder Case.”

“You, what face do you have to crawl in here!”

“Why else? They’ll need someone to use a shovel for excavation, right?”

“Do you think that’s what I’m asking?! How dare you walk around with your head held high after killing the Cardinal…!”

“Haha, I was wondering why you’re so angry. You must be one of the heroes sponsored by that damn sex offender.”

The hero flinched and shrank back.

The fact that she felt embarrassment before indignation suggested she was also aware of the corruption he had committed.

And this was known by other church authorities and the Empire as well.

“If they wanted to hide it, they could have, but the Empire made a big announcement about it, which means they saw no need to protect him. From what I heard, those aiming for the vacant Cardinal position are busy making additional accusations…”

“You, you bastard…”

“Haha, what? Don’t tell me you’re thinking of fighting here, knowing full well what you know?”

It would be troublesome for her if a fight broke out here.

No matter how high-ranking an authority might be, the dead can’t speak, and if there were all sorts of irregularities, there would be many who would use it as an excuse to bring down his status.

Thanks to that, the punishment imposed on Nam Jaseong was just a stern warning, not execution or imprisonment.

Though he couldn’t expect a medal for not following proper procedures, conversely, the Empire had even actively recommended him for this mission to give him a chance to make up for his current mistake.

“…Damn barbarian. You’d better not think you can keep your head held high forever.”

The hero reluctantly retreated, recognizing this flow.

Nam Jaseong, who had been watching her leave, turned around nonchalantly and began to show interest in Taeyang Lim sitting nearby.

“By the way, why do you look like that? Are you too poor to buy clothes?”

Flinch.

All the heroes who had witnessed the previous incident stiffened simultaneously.

Despite the anxious gazes focused on him, Nam Jaseong paid no mind and just examined Taeyang Lim, who was looking back at him stoically.

“And why are you so emaciated… Hey! Have you been eating properly these days?!”

“……”

Taeyang Lim just stared at Nam Jaseong silently.

Seemingly annoyed by this taciturn attitude, Nam Jaseong clicked his tongue and reached for Taeyang’s drooping arm.

“There’s food everywhere here, so why aren’t you eating anything? If you don’t have anyone to eat with, I can join you.”

This was a man who had preemptively counterattacked and subdued someone who merely showed hostility before attacking.

Such a person wouldn’t quietly accept someone touching his body.

-Rustle.

But he just stared stoically through the bag at being held by the other’s hand, without rushing at Nam Jaseong like he had with the previous hero.

As if he recognized that, unlike the previous hero, the other was trying to lead him with pure goodwill.

If that’s truly the case, it’s understandable why he wouldn’t attack and would follow along.

‘Is it okay for those two to be together like that?’

Nevertheless, Garam watched the situation with unease.

It was a natural outcome for two troublemakers to get along, but Nam Jaseong was trying to show goodwill even to Garam.

“Hey, kid over there. Come over here too.”

“Huh? Me?”

“At your age, you need to eat a lot to grow.”

The lack of distance from the first meeting.

While it seemed very sudden from Garam’s perspective, he reluctantly chose to stand by Nam Jaseong’s side, pressured by the gazes of the surrounding heroes.

In reality, the heroes, except for Taeyang Lim and Nam Jaseong, didn’t welcome his presence.

“Ha, a criminal, a beggar, and a fallen hero.”

“Birds of a feather flock together.”

It was a natural result. Heroes had their own culture, and within that culture, the three of them could never fit in.

And this atmosphere would continue in the upcoming mission.

‘…I miss Hyoseong.’

Feeling suffocated by this realization, Garam quietly ate his food, turning away from them.

Longing for the only person he could rely on in this world, who had declared individual activities for training.

“…I see everyone is eating well.”

It was at that moment that an unexpected figure entered the meeting place.

As the whispering heroes turned their attention to the entrance, they saw someone emerging through several knights.

A sharp and cold gaze revealed as he lifted the visor of his helmet.

His face was full of wrinkles, proving the passage of time, but his gaze was sharper than the scars on his face.

A figure that could rightfully be called an old warrior.

“Are you… from the Imperial Army?”

“Yes, I am Marcus Cradle, an officer of the Imperial Army. I have been appointed as the commander of the legion you will be joining, in preparation for the upcoming war.”

Commander Marcus.

At the old warrior’s self-introduction, questions began to arise on the faces of all the heroes gathered in the meeting place.

“War? What do you mean? Weren’t we heading to the excavation site where dragon bones are buried?”

“The situation has changed. Currently, during the excavation, numerous undead have been confirmed to be wandering around the site.”

The Undead Legion.

A fearless army that constitutes one axis of the forces threatening humanity.

“…Are you saying the Undead Legion has occupied that place?”

“Judging by how they’re scattered rather than grouped, they’re likely naturally occurring undead, but it doesn’t hurt to prepare for the worst.”

It hasn’t been confirmed yet whether they are under the control of the Undead Legion, but the current operation to excavate the dragon’s bones is a major operation directly led by the imperial family.

As they can’t allow even the slightest risk, the possibility of interference must be kept in mind.

“Therefore, from now on, the heroes heading to the excavation site will join the legion led by me, Marcus, and participate in organizing the battle formation. This is an order accompanied by the imperial command, and once you decide to participate, there will be no turning back.”

If you’re not going to listen to this, leave this place right now.

At this declaration, which was essentially saying just that, tension began to swirl among all the heroes gathered at the scene.

And…

*****

“…So they’re intervening after all.”

“Has it begun?”

“Yes, unfortunately.”

In an old temple of a fallen kingdom.

Gwen Hwibar, who was praying and sensing the energy of the dead, answered her Azure Knight and quietly stood up.

“Indeed, it seems war with humanity is unavoidable.”

A cold and withered body. A frailty that made even standing difficult.

Nevertheless, there was no sign of suffering as she looked at her vassals.

What was reflected in her empty retinas was solely the lingering attachment that had helped raise the bodies of the dead.

“…Everyone.”

She, who wished to close her eyes and forget everything else.

Soon addressed her four loyal servants standing before her.

“From now on, we will release the forces we have kept dormant and begin a war in preparation for the future.”

To preserve the glory, beauty, and the existence of someone’s life in a world destined for destruction.

The legion that had risen from death solely for this purpose was preparing to face their enemies without fear even at this moment.

“The Demon Lord’s army’s control has noticeably weakened over the past few months, which is considered an opportunity for us… And humanity, having noticed this point, is also preparing to confront our army to make the power we must obtain their own.”

The opportunity is only now for either side, but the king of the dead did not decide to give up one of them.

As this world gradually moves towards collapse, their power grows stronger, but if they don’t act now, the number of those they can’t save will only increase.

“Therefore, we too will now divide into two groups for war. Two knights will join me in the full-scale war against the Demon Lord’s army, and the remaining two will head to where the dragon’s remains are…”

So the moment to move is right now.

Having conveyed this intention, Gwen prepared to deliver a cruel sentence to humanity by opening her withered lips.

“…Two out of four.”

“Who will leave my side and head to the ‘Dragon’s Tomb’?”

Just two knights.

That would be sufficient force to annihilate the humans there.

***

And, for such a reason, the journey for training began.

Following Jean, I embarked on a journey to the training site, taking time to solemnly prepare my mind for the upcoming training.

Though I didn’t know what kind of training it would be, I had to be ready to endure anything to bring back Pailoi’s heart.

Yes, at first, that was all I had in mind, but…

“Hey, you two. Please calm down…”

“No, this needs to be decided clearly.”

“Yes, please tell us clearly with your own words, Hyoseong.”

By the time we arrived at the camping site, Irie and Merilyn were glaring at each other with fierce eyes.

They had said they were joining to help with my training, but all they showed on the journey was opposition to each other.

“Hyoseong.”

And at this moment, their emotions had reached a peak.

As if to demonstrate this, both of them turned their gazes from each other to me and spoke simultaneously.

“Tonight, who will you sleep with in the same tent?”

“……”