Chapter 13: The Unlikely Hero

In a single year, there are five hero candidates and four saint candidates.

For the record, there were originally three saint candidates, but with the sudden addition of Chloe, who I pushed in, it became four.

Doesn’t the number seem off?

Five hero candidates, who are said to be comparable to an army of 10,000.

No matter how I think about it, the number seems too large.

For reference, hero candidates were not produced in such large numbers every year.

Just over a decade ago, it was rare for even a single hero candidate to appear in a given year, and even in years when there were a lot, there would only be two or three.

And out of those two or three, one would often fail to meet the qualifications, and be eliminated from consideration.

But now we have five.

It smells fishy.

This situation arose from a combination of factors.

The number of hero candidates wasn’t always so small.

It might happen that no candidates appear in a given year, but if many do appear, the number would usually be two or three.

This means that, over the course of a decade or so, there could be a total of over ten hero candidates.

A hero is generally a being blessed by the goddess.

As darkness approaches, the goddess increases the number of heroes in preparation.

So, the increase in hero candidates around the time of the Demon Lord’s invasion is actually quite logical according to the setting.

But at the same time, it’s also because ‘fake hero candidates’ are mixed in.

This was because nobles and other influential figures had pushed certain individuals forward as hero candidates.

Whether it was their sons, nephews, or others, they would tamper with documents and fabricate testimonies to ‘create’ hero candidates.

This is a sign of a class that has stagnated and rotted after a prolonged period of peace.

At least in the case of saint candidates, it involves church matters, and so they can’t be easily ‘created,’ but even noble families or the royal family have holy relics in their possession.

With the right church figures under their influence, it’s possible to get someone ‘pushed forward.’

“Take care.”

“Kuung.”

As I passed by, Sasha and Narya greeted me.

I just nodded at them and walked on.

And finally, there was Chloe.

Chloe was just as nervous as I was.

She, too, came from a small village like me.

And she didn’t have a prominent family, being just a commoner.

Actually, Chloe had it worse.

Being raised as a nun likely meant she either didn’t have parents or had been abandoned by them.

Even though she had strong holy power and had served as a representative priestess in her village, there was no way she wouldn’t be nervous in this situation.

“Let’s go.”

“Y-yes.”

I said quietly, and Chloe, still nervous, replied and followed me with quick steps.

At least that’s a relief?

I didn’t have to walk forward alone under the gaze of all those people.

The sound of our footsteps echoed through the hall as we walked.

The other four hero candidates and three saint candidates must have been ahead of us, as they reached the stage much quicker.

“Sorry.”

Chloe, walking next to me, said in a voice barely audible.

“Huh?”

“No, it’s just… because of me, we arrived late.”

Ah, is she talking about that?

In the original story, Chloe was introduced as a regular transfer student during the semester, but in this case, I brought her along myself and personally delivered the introduction letter.

There were also a few verification procedures, so yes, we did end up being a bit late.

“We weren’t even late though.”

But that wasn’t Chloe’s fault.

I had insisted on doing it this way.

Plus, Chloe hadn’t even received her saint candidate attire that day because we had to leave immediately.

At my response, Chloe didn’t speak further, but her expression seemed to relax a little.

As we moved forward, we saw more and more people dressed in fancy, immaculate clothes.

Had these people gathered together for school?

No, maybe they’re the ones who live within the system.

The gazes coming from those kinds of people were very intimidating, but we persevered and made our way to the stage, where we stood side by side behind the principal.

Up close, I could see the principal’s beauty more clearly.

And along with that, the scar on her cheek became more apparent.

Her sapphire-like blue eyes were fixed on me, and she gazed at Chloe, standing next to me, for a while.

I hope she doesn’t think I’m the one who pushed her forward.

But the principal soon gave a small, reassuring smile and then turned her gaze back to the hero and saint candidates in front of her.

“Welcome to the heroes who will bear the future of humanity. May your future be filled with light.”

At least, there was no darkness in her smile.

But deep down, she must be suspicious.

The principal then turned back.

“Not just the hero and saint candidates, but all of you are the talents who will bear the future of humanity. I hope you will learn and grow here, and contribute to many with your knowledge. I pray you will live a life of responsibility, standing high above others.”

At the words of the great hero, the audience members sitting in front of the stage stood up in unison and clapped.

Then, the students in the back followed suit.

And, as expected, we were also in a position to receive applause, standing in line behind the principal.

My stomach was already churning.

When we went to pull the holy sword, I wondered if Toro would end up doing something too.

The hall in the main building was large enough to fit all 2,000 students, including the new ones, but the plaza in front of it… was it really necessary to be this big?

Honestly, I even signed on the way here to the main building.

In the center of the plaza, there was a rock that reached about the height of an adult man’s knee.

It wasn’t directly touching the ground, and honestly, any warrior trained to a certain level in this world could probably lift it.

But up until now, no one has been able to break it or lift it.

Of course, that’s because embedded in the rock is the holy sword.

The holy sword once used by the hero who died 200 years ago.

Can you imagine how ridiculous it would be if someone tried to say, “If I can’t pull the holy sword out, I’ll just take the whole rock!”?

The principal looked at the holy sword with a tender gaze.

She had been part of that hero’s party, so she understood.

“Now, we will proceed with the ceremony.”

The people who must attend this event are usually the principal, the bishop from the academy’s cathedral, the pope who is a guest, and the hero candidates.

There’s no need for anyone else.

Once the holy sword is pulled out, the hero will naturally be the one to carry it, and everyone will know.

But who wouldn’t want to watch such an event?

While it wasn’t mandatory, all the academy staff and students had gathered in the plaza.

I turned my gaze to the people surrounding us.

Chloe was standing in the front row, and next to her were Sasha and Narya, subtly hanging around.

Siwoo was also there.

When our eyes met, Siwoo gave a small wave in my direction.

I nodded with a little squeak and turned my attention back to the principal.

“First Prince Jamie Endonia.”

At the principal’s call, a man with golden hair, cut to the nape of his neck and looking somewhat arrogant, stepped forward.

The principal nodded, and he confidently walked to the holy sword.

He grasped the sword’s hilt and let out a “Hah!” sound.

He tried to pull it out with all his might, but, unsurprisingly, the holy sword did not budge.

Well, of course.

The prince shrugged and stepped back, showing no regret.

“Duchess Arnbur’s eldest daughter, Rebecca.”

A girl wearing white armor stepped forward.

Her long purple hair was tied up behind her.

Since she was already carrying a sword on her waist, it seemed like she was someone who specialized in using a sword, just like me.

Rebecca walked confidently up to the holy sword, grabbed the hilt, and applied force.

Of course, the holy sword didn’t move.

“Mm.”

The girl nodded and stepped back to stand next to the prince.

“Lady Cindy, eldest daughter of the Blackwall Duke family.”

She was a girl with dark, somewhat rough-looking hair that cascaded down her back.

She was taller than me, and there was a combative smile on her face.

Above her head were large ears resembling those of an animal.

A beastman family.

Their family crest, as well as the animal they claimed, was a ‘wolf’.

It’s probably unnecessary to point out that the genetic difference between dogs and wolves isn’t that large.

“Hah!”

She tried to pull the sword with all her might, but once again, the sword remained firmly in place.

She clicked her tongue in frustration and stepped back.

“And… the great warrior of the World Tree, Kara.”

The principal spoke somewhat uncomfortably.

Kara was an elf.

She came from a city of elves quite far from the academy’s jurisdiction.

Her green hair, tied in a single ponytail at the back, and her pointed ears sticking out from the sides of her head were clear signs of her elven heritage.

With a noble expression, she elegantly walked to the holy sword, took the hilt, briefly tensed her arm, then relaxed.

And with a knowing look that she wasn’t going to succeed, she casually stepped back to join the other hero candidates.

…As expected.

Among the candidates, I was the only commoner.

Though it was said that fake hero candidates were mixed in, honestly, don’t I seem the most like a fake among them?

My skills are even worse than the fakes among them.

“From the Baroness’ estate in Floris, Lira from Elin Village.”

See?

Even my introduction sounds the most unremarkable.

The principal’s gaze was actually the most favorable toward me, but I didn’t know why.

I sighed lightly and walked up to the holy sword.

All the eyes in the crowd were on me.

Whether those gazes were full of anticipation or not, I wasn’t sure.

Ah, I’m just not suited for this kind of attention.

I just need to try and get it over with.

I sighed again, longer this time.

Well, I won’t pull it out anyway.

Siwoo said the same thing happened in the original story.

Screech.

See? It came out just fine.

?

“Eh?”

Silence.

As the holy sword slid out of the rock, every pair of eyes was now fixed on me.

Everyone was staring at me, alternating between my face and the sword.

Even the four hero candidates who had tried before me were watching.

There was one person, though, who was smiling contentedly—the principal.

At that moment, I sensed that I was in deep trouble.