Chapter 169

Chapter 169. You Know What? That Pisses Me Off

“Hero...?”

One word from Pastien.

“Me?”

One word from Erol.

“For fuck’s sake.”

And one word from me after hearing both of them.

I was pissed off.

This bastard had shoved people into the depths of despair, looked down on them from above, and called it a trial.

Yet the moment she saw Erol, who resembled Hope, her eyes filled with tears and she went—

Hero...!

Ha!

What an interesting person!

Huh?

Was that damn qualification unnecessary as long as you were handsome?

Are you trying to make this ugly bastard die from frustration?

So what if Erol looks like Hope?!

It was probably another one of the Chairman’s tricks!

You!

I told you everything about the game and the Chairman, so why are you getting fooled by someone’s face?!

You said people without qualification weren’t allowed!

Yet look at you walking straight toward Erol the instant you see him!

Wow!

Agh!

This is driving me insane!

Yeah, sure!

If you’re handsome enough, apparently even suddenly acting like this makes perfect narrative sense~!

Tap.

I placed a hand on Pastien’s shoulder as she moved toward Erol and stopped her.

I was too annoyed to let this continue.

The enormous power coming from her small body almost shoved me away.

Fortunately, Pastien stopped and looked back at me in displeasure at being blocked.

Otherwise my fingers might have shattered.

“No.”

I frowned.

“This isn’t right.”

“This is neither the proper order nor proper manners.”

“What are you talking about...?”

“Did you like Hope?”

I narrowed my eyes.

“The Great Hero of Hope?”

“!!”

Pastien’s face instantly turned red.

Then she shoved me away!

A Great Hero!

[You have suffered critical damage! Your wounds will recover more slowly! The effectiveness of healing magic is reduced by 20%!]

“Urgh...! You insane woman! Be gentle!”

“W-Who!”

Pastien trembled.

“Who likes whom?!”

Erol blinked.

“Goodness. Were the Great Hero of Patience and the Great Hero of Hope in that kind of relationship?”

“N-No! We weren’t! It wasn’t like that!”

“Bullshit!”

I pointed at her.

“Love is practically shooting out of your eyes!”

“Even your damn way of talking suddenly became ridiculously gentle!”

“Look at her! She’s a total fox! A fox!”

“I’m not!”

Her face became so red it looked ready to explode.

Then the Great Hero picked me up and threw me!

...

A Great Hero!

If Erol, another Great Hero, hadn’t caught me...

I would probably be lying alone and abandoned somewhere in the middle of that Demonic Realm right now.

“And to think I resemble the Great Hero of Hope this much....”

Erol looked thoughtful.

“Can coincidence truly go this far?”

Then realization appeared on his face.

“Ahh. I finally understand the things Father said back then.”

“Tsk.”

I clicked my tongue.

“There are no coincidences in this world.”

“I’m not really a believer in fate.”

It wasn’t fate.

It was the Chairman screwing around.

Just like he made me resemble Ruin...

He almost certainly created Erol to resemble Hope.

Pastien herself was proving just how similar they were right now.

But considering the Chairman had created Erol inside the game instead of reality...

Hope must have traumatized the Chairman pretty badly.

Wait.

Maybe there was someone in reality right now who looked exactly like Erol too?

“...You don’t merely resemble him.”

Pastien stared at Erol.

Her eyes trembled.

“Great Hero of Salvation... You look exactly like him.”

“As though...”

Her voice softened.

“As though you were the very same person, returned after crossing through time....”

“She’s about to cry.”

I snorted.

“Why don’t you go comfort her?”

Erol laughed awkwardly.

“Haha. That might be a little....”

Look at her!

Look at how dejected she got!

Ugh.

Ughhh.

This is so damn irritating!

“The girl likes you this much.”

A familiar voice laughed.

“Couldn’t you at least say one thing she wants to hear?”

Hayangi approached with a grin, clearly having the time of her life.

Ohhh.

What the heck?

Long time no see.

Unlike my current body, she was still ridiculously skinny like the old me.

Do you even eat properly?

I casually raised one hand in greeting.

Hayangi lazily waved back.

...

Were we really like friends who had known each other for ten years?

Even though we hadn’t seen each other in ages...

I wasn’t overwhelmingly happy or anything.

“You know those services where someone plays a role for you?”

Hayangi grinned.

“If you’ve got the face of the person she desperately wanted to see, just humor her for a little.”

Erol looked at her.

“Would you do that?”

“Why would I?”

“...You really are his other half.”

Erol sighed.

“Shameless.”

Hayangi and I burst out laughing at the same time.

Yeah.

She really was my other half.

We hadn’t been this similar before.

“So.”

Hayangi looked at me.

“You came here intending to reclaim the power of Madness?”

“Yep?”

Pastien’s expression hardened.

“...And why should I simply stand by and allow that?”

Hayangi immediately wrapped an arm around Pastien’s shoulder and burst into laughter.

“Oh, there are plenty of reasons!”

I thought she had some guts.

I expected Pastien to freak out.

But surprisingly, nothing happened.

Maybe they had grown close during those twenty years.

Apparently, this level of physical contact was allowed.

Hayangi was practically hugging her.

Ohhh~?

What’s this?

What’s this?

My instincts are pretty good, you know?

But if Hayangi was thinking the same thing I was...

Pastien was about to get hurt again in several ways.

“Watch closely.”

Starting from the place Hayangi touched...

Pastien’s pure white skin began turning pitch-black.

Both Great Heroes flinched at Hayangi’s sudden action.

But neither immediately moved.

Hayangi and Pastien were still connected by chains.

If Erol acted carelessly...

Either Pastien or Hayangi, or perhaps both, could be badly injured.

“What... are you doing?!”

“Mm-hmm, I understand.”

Hayangi nodded sympathetically.

“You must feel horribly betrayed.”

“But I have to survive too, don’t I?”

She smiled.

“If I just sit here quietly, you look like you’ll happily follow that handsome guy away.”

“Then what happens to me and my friend?”

“So come on. We’re friends.”

“Give me this much.”

“...You....”

Pastien shut her mouth, apparently unable to find anything to say.

Wow.

This one was a full-blown villain....

I almost wanted to pretend I had nothing to do with her.

“Actually, this part is mostly for show.”

Hayangi gestured between herself and Pastien.

“As you can see, Great Hero, Pastien and I are connected.”

“If you go, ‘Die, Madness!’ and kill me...”

She grinned.

“My fragments will lose their home and flow into Pastien, won’t they?”

Erol’s eyes narrowed.

“...Are you saying a Great Hero would become stained by Madness?”

“And not just any Great Hero!”

Hayangi spread her arms.

“A Great Hero from four hundred years ago!”

“She’s also a poor friend who has spent all this time alone in this damn Demonic Realm without even dying.”

Erol was weak-hearted in his own way.

If she said something like that, he wouldn’t be able to casually do something to Pastien—

“That’s none of my concern.”

“Huh?”

Hayangi froze.

Erol looked at me.

“Kim Ingwang.”

“I learned something from you.”

His gaze was firm.

“And I made a decision.”

“I will no longer arrogantly attempt to act for everyone when it does not suit me.”

“...My other half really isn’t useful at all~”

I sighed.

Still...

I think I did something worthy of the name Hero by helping a naive young man in trouble...!

“...W-Wait!”

At Erol’s unexpected attitude, Hayangi quickly ducked behind Pastien.

So like me.

Mm...!

Pastien apparently already knew what kind of person Hayangi was.

She brushed the black traces of Madness from her shoulder like dust and let out a deep sigh.

...

Wait.

Was Pastien just trying to use Hayangi to manipulate Erol?

Was she trying to win his sympathy?!

This girl is scary too...!

Or maybe she simply trusted that Erol wouldn’t really do anything reckless.

Maybe Erol noticed that and was deliberately taking such a hard stance?

“Give us a chance!”

Erol raised an eyebrow.

“A chance for Madness?”

Hayangi repeatedly glanced at me, signaling for me to hurry up and do something.

Seriously.

You’re not useful either, my friend.

Pastien herself was acting as her shield.

Why was she this scared?

Hmm.

“Erol.”

I stepped forward.

“From this moment on, you have to choose.”

“What are you talking about now?”

Erol frowned.

“Choose what?”

RATTLE!

I activated Choice and Freedom.

I hadn’t expected the skill to work against a Great Hero.

But through sheer luck...

I managed to bind one of Erol’s ankles.

[Only half of the effect of Choice and Freedom is applied! The Great Hero of Salvation’s stats decrease slightly! You may offer the target a choice with their consent!]

[The target is overwhelmingly powerful! You cannot make demands of the target!]

“What an unusual power.”

Erol looked down at the restraint.

Then he pulled out his grimoire and staff while showing hostility toward me too.

“What exactly are you planning to do with it?”

He had changed so much after that incident!

If I didn’t give him an answer he could accept immediately...

It looked like he would forget our month of friendship or whatever and reduce me to ashes.

Hayangi had Pastien to protect her.

I had nothing like that!

“Erol.”

I pointed toward Hayangi.

“What you’re afraid of is the return of Madness.”

“The symbol of evil enters me, and my very existence becomes dangerous.”

Hayangi crossed her arms.

“Honestly, I think that’s unfair.”

“I didn’t do anything.”

She paused.

“To humans, anyway.”

“And you’re probably also afraid that if I obtain the power of Madness, the Fanatics will get excited and start running wild.”

Hayangi tilted her head.

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Only talk about things I know.”

“Hayangi, shh~”

I really felt like I was about to gain another child.

Why did fully grown people keep becoming my children when I was still this young...?

“However!”

I raised my voice.

“As you know, I am Indomitable!”

“I’m the Indomitable Hero who once subdued Madness already!”

Hayangi nodded.

“That’s true.”

“I was completely under your thumb.”

She smiled.

“It was pretty entertaining.”

“Of course, the current Hayangi seems stronger than she was back then.”

I continued.

“As time passed, being connected to Pastien must have naturally trained her.”

Hayangi leaned against Pastien.

“It helped a lot.”

“That’s why I love her very, very much.”

Pastien immediately grabbed for Hayangi’s mouth.

“Shut up...!”

With Hayangi and me taking turns talking, Erol seemed to be getting a headache.

He frowned.

“You’re asking me to give you a chance to subdue Madness again, aren’t you?”

“Exactly!”

I pointed at him.

“That’s exactly it!”

“Think about it.”

“Madness is terrifying because it cannot be controlled.”

I grinned.

“But what if it can be controlled?”

“The Empire would gain enormous power.”

Erol answered immediately.

“The political balance of the continent could collapse overnight.”

“No!”

I waved both hands.

“That’s different!”

“Why?”

“Because I have a different plan!”

Then I added—

“And I don’t even work for the Empire anymore!”

“Even so—”

“Do not punish someone for a crime they haven’t committed yet!”

I intended to continue Asset’s will.

A new nation made of monsters.

I planned to expand its territory outward from the Abandoned District.

“That....”

I turned to Pastien.

“Right, Pastien?”

“You remember hearing something like that before, don’t you?”

I clapped my hands.

“Ah! Right.”

“Asset told me to take good care of you.”

Pastien’s expression trembled.

“...Unni....”

Seeing her almost cry while thinking of Asset made me feel weak again.

“...How exactly does that become a reason for me to give you a chance?”

I spread my arms.

“Demon Kings and Great Demon Kings scattered across the world.”

“The Alliance has weakened.”

“The Empire is going to become stronger.”

“Karantlia is growing at a terrifying speed.”

“And after the Hall incident, monsters across the world became stronger and smarter.”

I smiled.

“Isn’t this the perfect era for the kind of massive chaos that Chaos itself would love?”

“....”

“So first, I take in all the monsters that became stronger.”

“With the power of Madness, I can do it.”

I pointed toward myself.

“And if I do that, nobody will need to constantly concentrate huge amounts of strength on minor incidents.”

“There’ll be no need to worry about random disasters breaking out everywhere!”

My smile widened.

“Everyone can focus entirely on the real disasters.”

“The Demon Kings and Great Demon Kings!”

I had already captured several Hero-class monsters and released them inside the Abandoned District to raise them there.

The possibility had already been proven.

And I supplied some to the arena too.

From Super Real’s perspective, it could even become an unexpected source of brand-new content.

Most of the things I had imagined were already beginning to line up surprisingly well!

Of course, the sacrifices and expenses required to reach this point had been enormous.

But I had succeeded!

Which meant—

There was a high chance I could make this situation move according to my wishes!

“I’m also planning to continuously leak information about the Fanatics and Demon Kings to the Empire.”

I tapped my head.

“I’ve been hiding quite a bit.”

Erol understood immediately.

“You intend to create a common enemy so they won’t have time to entertain other ambitions?”

“Exactly.”

I nodded.

“Honestly, instead of destroying the Empire...”

“It’s safer to slap a badge reading ‘World Police’ onto that gigantic organization.”

The Empire possessed long traditions.

A brilliant culture.

And they seemed incredibly proud and attached to both.

So what if we gave people like that the honorable title of—

Those who struggle to protect world peace.

It wasn’t even that difficult.

Grandpa Aro had personally witnessed the destruction of the Mu Kingdom.

He would do everything he could.

“You already know I’ve got Karantlia firmly under control.”

I grinned.

“And me?”

“I even got myself a Great Hero willing to help me now.”

Erol nodded.

“The Great Hero of Friendship....”

His expression became serious.

“A terrifying person.”

“If another person ever reaches the realm of the Old Sword, it will undoubtedly be her.”

“Exactly!”

I raised a finger.

“But what if you interfere with me?”

[The coercive force of Choice and Freedom grows stronger!]

“It’s nothing complicated.”

I looked directly at Erol.

“Give me the chance to meet Hayangi, become one with her again, and subdue her once more.”

Hayangi immediately raised a hand.

“I have no intention of going easy on you.”

She smiled.

“Having a body of my own sounds pretty nice too.”

“Trust me.”

I tapped my chest.

“Don’t I look like a Hero who has produced his fair share of miracles?”

“Hmm....”

CLANK!

Erol casually shook his foot and broke the restraint around his ankle.

Then he seriously considered my words.

...

I hadn’t expected him to escape that easily.

A little awkward.

Still...

Let’s be satisfied that I showed him I had methods like this.

I wasn’t completely powerless.

And I wasn’t completely without a plan.

“Ah! One more thing!”

Erol looked at me.

“What?”

“After this is over, I’m going to fight Pastien.”

“...What?”

Everyone reacted like I had suddenly started spouting complete nonsense after everything had been going so well.

Yes.

I understood perfectly.

Fighting a Great Hero was...

Rather than a child challenging an adult...

It was probably closer to a single ant biting the back leg of an elephant.

Maybe I only felt that strongly because the Great Hero I had seen most often was Grandpa Aro, the one called the strongest.

Either way...

I didn’t stand a chance.

The Demon King of Wrath alone was someone I couldn’t defeat by myself.

Yet once Erol caught up to it, its options were probably limited to either tucking its tail and fleeing...

Or praying to God and accepting a peaceful death.

“...Why?”

I answered immediately.

“Because she pissed me off.”

Oh, she was so impressive.

Using those outstanding abilities of hers to create trials that precisely dug up people’s painful pasts one by one.

Did she seriously think I’d just let that go?

Winning a fight against her was obviously impossible.

But I would find some way to knock her down.

“...Hmm.”

Erol looked thoughtful.

“But I don’t think that’s something you need my permission to do.”

“I’m asking you to agree not to interfere.”

“...All right.”

He nodded.

“Then first...”

“Subdue Madness.”

YES!

That went well!

As expected of Erol!

I knew we could communicate!

He didn’t even belong to an organization anymore and had declared his intention to challenge for the title of strongest.

Of course someone filled with that much competitive spirit would agree to something like this!

Pastien stared at me.

“You intend to fight me?”

“Not me.”

I corrected her.

“We’re going to fight you.”

That bitter expression.

Hope had probably tried to handle most things alone.

And he had actually succeeded at doing so.

Pastien had likely never heard words like these before.

“Huh?”

Someone behind me spoke.

“Ingwang-ssi, what did you just say?”

Another voice followed immediately.

“Why are we fighting her? Are you insane?”

Aien’s voice rose.

“Uncle, are you out of your mind?!”

“How exactly are we supposed to fight a Great Hero head-on, fair and square?”

“Tricks don’t work against someone like that in a direct confrontation!”

The Village Chief sounded equally horrified.

“Ingwang-nim... Even so, surely this is not the place for us to throw our lives away for nothing...!”

...

Apparently...

My kids were hearing this for the first time too.

Hmm.

Ahem!

Guess my credibility still wasn’t high enough!

Still!

I have Jayeon and Modak!

At least they’ll believe in me!

That’s enough!

“Father...”

Jayeon hesitated.

“I don’t think this is right....”

“Jayeon, not you too...!”

Modak nodded eagerly.

“I didn’t know the giant middle finger was meant for us too.”

“Modak!”

Tsk!

Damn it!

So what if she’s a Great Hero?!

Cause the problem first and regret it later!