I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 10

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Cousin, Paving the Way with Flowers and Becoming a Hero — Episode 10
Alex left the Lakehouse inn with Leo and headed toward the Market.
“Wow! Wow-wow!”
To Leo, who had only ever seen grasslands and forests, fields and playmates among his friends, the colorful, towering, bustling village within the Lord’s Castle was nothing short of another world.
“Leo, shall I buy you a sausage?”
“Yes!”
[Let’s eat too!]
[It’s not factory-made—it’s handcrafted by real people!]
Alex thought it was odd that sausages were made by people either way, but he too didn’t want to miss out on something delicious.
Alex bought two sausages from a busy street vendor, took a bite of his own first, then handed Leo an intact one.
“It’s delicious!”
“If you want anything else, just say so. Your uncle will buy it.”
“Okay! But we need to eat dinner soon, so I won’t eat more.”
[Smart kid!]
[Are you really six years old?]
Leo’s maturity made Alex feel a little sad.
And so Alex and Leo wandered through the Market with their sausages, seeing mostly familiar things, though there were some unfamiliar items that seemed to come from other territories.
Gripping Alex’s hand firmly, Leo looked around in wonder. With his cheeks flushed red, he looked charmingly childlike.
Alex held Leo’s hand tightly while examining the prices of the goods.
Winter would come in a few months, so he saw items for warmth preparations. Leo was still young; he had to prepare thoroughly.
[Let’s check out the vegetables too!]
[There seem to be lots of vegetables different from our world!]
Lebak, the skilled cook, showed interest in various cooking ingredients.
After browsing around, Alex went to the Blacksmith that Harlon had introduced and purchased defensive gear including Leather Armor.
“Do we need this too?”
A Cloak, which mercenaries wore often and which happened to be at the Blacksmith, was dark-colored so it wouldn’t show stains easily. Alex bought it and tried it on.
“Uncle looks great! Just like a real mercenary!”
[I want to see too!]
[Come to think of it, I haven’t gotten a good look at Alex’s face either.]
He’d only seen Alex’s reflection rippling in the water during washing.
[Since you’re Leo’s uncle, I doubt you’re that ugly.]
[Let’s look in a mirror later!]
Brushing off Lebak’s words with ease, Alex bought several Daggers and asked the Blacksmith to examine the sword his sister had given him as a gift.
Before his regression, his past self had maintained it reasonably well over five years, but now Alex’s eyes spotted places that needed improvement.
“A fine sword. You’ve kept it well.”
“It’s a precious blade.”
Alex smiled at the Blacksmith’s words.
“Just needs a little work. Come pick it up tomorrow around midday.”
After paying, Alex returned to the inn with Leo. The sun had set, and everyone was eating dinner.
Alex and Leo took a seat and ordered the Special Roasted Chicken that Matthew the server recommended.
The Special Roasted Chicken arrived quickly, as it must have been popular.
From the perfectly golden-brown roasted chicken rose hot steam and a delicious aroma.
For Leo, eating outside the village for the first time, the Special Roasted Chicken held his gaze without a blink. He was so focused that his mouth hung slightly open.
Seeing Leo like that, Alex smiled softly and picked up a Fork and Knife.
“Wait a moment, Leo. Let me taste it first and portion it for you.”
“Huh?”
At Alex’s words about tasting it first, Leo tilted his head but picked up his fork and waited.
[Taste it first?]
[Didn’t you skip that with the sausage?]
Because sometimes the food of “Hero Leo” had been poisoned.
‘Not that this place would do that.’
It was simply that the memory of “Hero Leo” suffering from poison had made his hand move first.
With a bitter laugh to himself, Alex took a small bite of the chicken.
[Oh! It’s delicious!]
[I thought it was just an inn, but it’s a real gem.]
[Quick, let’s try the drumstick too!]
Brushing aside Lebak’s exclamations, Alex divided the chicken into portions and placed small pieces on Leo’s plate.
“I’ll enjoy the meal!”
Leo took a bite of the chicken with a bright smile.
The chicken, slowly roasted for a long time, melted away on his tongue with hardly any chewing needed.
“This is really delicious, Uncle!”
Only then did Alex finally relax and begin eating the roasted chicken.
“You’re right. It really is wonderful!”
[No fancy seasoning, but the salt is perfectly balanced. The meat’s cooked just right—so tender!]
[And you can taste the juices!]
Listening to Lebak’s continuous exclamations, Alex found himself nodding in agreement.
Having a proper sense of taste was truly remarkable. A single bite like this could make an entire day feel like happiness.
As their pleasant dinner was drawing to a close.
“Grandfather!”
The door swung open and a young girl came rushing in.
“Oh! Sophia!”
Harlon’s stern expression softened instantly as he knelt down. The girl called Sophia hurried over and embraced him.
“I came with Father!”
“Why did he have to come?”
Alex’s eyes widened as he saw the man who walked in behind her.
It was the soldier, Cain.
Cain, having spotted Alex and Leo, relaxed his usually stern face and nodded in greeting.
[Alex. Don’t you think Harlon and Cain’s faces look alike?]
‘Now that you mention it…’
Alex and Leo exchanged glances between Harlon and Cain.
“Could it be…”
“Yes. It’s where our father works. You rarely get troublemakers at an inn run by a soldier’s family.”
[That certainly seems to be the case!]
Moreover, the room rates were genuinely affordable.
He could accept a recommendation like this any number of times.
“Hello. What’s your name?”
“I’m Leo! What about you?”
“I’m Sophia! This is my grandfather, and this is my father! Father’s a soldier, so he’s really strong!”
“My uncle is amazing too! He cooks meat really well and farms really well! He’s even good at avoiding wolves!”
In the meantime.
The two children, now friends, were wandering around the inn.
“See, you cook here and then it goes out this way!”
“Wow! Is that so!”
“Look, Leo! Doesn’t it look just like a puppy?”
“It really does! Uncle! It’s a puppy!”
Watching the children crouch down and giggle as they examined the wooden grain patterns on the floor, Alex couldn’t help but smile.
“Thank you for recommending such a fine place.”
At Alex’s words, Cain nodded.
“Have you registered with the Mercenary Guild?”
“Not yet. I’m planning to do it tomorrow.”
Then Harlon spoke up.
“During the Mercenary Test, you can leave the boy here with me. I have my granddaughter, so there’s nothing to worry about.”
Alex expressed his gratitude for such thoughtful consideration.
Having a granddaughter certainly did ease his worries.
Though surely they wouldn’t use the granddaughter as bait to kidnap Leo.
‘…I really need to work on thinking that way.’
Alex, who had come from a “future” rife with all manner of crime, laughed at himself.
[The Mercenary Test?]
[I think I can guess what that is roughly about.]
He decided to explain to Lebak later.
Leo’s new friend Sophia and Cain ended up sharing the evening meal at their table.
“Mother’s staying home because she has a baby in her belly now. She gags just from the smell!”
“I’m going to search for my parents and Uncle! I’m going to be a mercenary!”
“Wow! You must be really strong! But my father’s even stronger!”
Alex noticed that Leo’s words made Cain and Harlon, as well as Matthew and the other guests, exchange pleased glances.
Alex simply laughed along.
“See you tomorrow, Leo!”
“Goodbye, Sophia!”
After finishing their meal.
Leo and Sophia, who had become close in such a short time, waved their small hands at each other in farewell, prompting everyone to break into laughter.
“The Lord’s Castle is so amazing, Uncle!”
“Is it?”
Leo, freshly washed and sprawled across a plush bed, chattered away without pause. He seemed determined to recount every last detail of the day he’d witnessed.
“I wish my friends could have come. Nora and Fin and Tom….”
He rattled off their names one by one, as if reciting a wish list. Never mind that he’d only left them this morning.
“Do you miss your friends, Leo?”
At Alex’s question, Leo nodded without hesitation.
“Yeah! But it’s okay because I’ll see them later. I’m going back to the village with Mom and Dad. We’ll buy loads of delicious things.”
Alex let out a quiet laugh at Leo’s words.
“Of course. Later, all together, we’ll load up on good food and head home.”
“Yep!”
Leo’s chatter soon gave way to sleep—exhaustion finally catching up with him.
Alex patted Leo’s belly, then slipped out of the room and made his way to the Backyard. He had training to do.
His sword was left with the Blacksmith, so he’d decided to focus on Stamina Training and Flexibility Training instead.
While he exercised, he also picked up the conversation he and Lebak hadn’t finished during the day.
‘I think I get the gist of it, but what exactly is a Mercenary Test?’
“It’s a mandatory requirement if you want to register as a Mercenary. You have to pass it to become one.”
Alex explained as he worked through his joints and muscles, loosening them methodically.
“It’s not difficult—just complete a simple Commission. It’s basically about proving basic competence and reliability.”
‘Yeah, there are always people who don’t show up or vanish without a word.’
‘What about Dungeons?’
‘I didn’t know this world had Dungeons either.’
Alex remembered how startled Lebak had been at the very mention of Dungeons.
“You said your world has Dungeons too, right?”
‘Yeah. It’s like a completely different dimension where monsters spawn.’
‘A Desert Dungeon might have an ocean inside, or a Forest Dungeon might be full of glaciers—that sort of thing.’
Alex responded while doing Push-ups.
“It’s similar here. It’s an ancient phenomenon—they appear anywhere, and monsters come pouring out.”
Dungeons spawned indiscriminately: in fields, shops, cities, forests. The moment they formed, they pulled in all living creatures in the vicinity.
“There are six ranks total. The most dangerous is a High-Rank Dungeon, and the easiest is a Lowest-Rank Dungeon. And then there are Contaminated Dungeons.”
‘Contaminated Dungeons?’
Alex glanced upward toward Leo’s room on the second floor as he spoke.
“They’re Dungeons where the regular monsters have been corrupted by Demon Qi and become abnormally strong. For example, a Lowest-Rank Dungeon’s monster might turn into a Low-Rank or Mid-Low Rank Corrupted Monster.”
‘Oh, that’s different from ours?’
“Really? That sounds like a better world. We didn’t have these at first either.”
Alex dropped one hand and continued his Push-ups with the other, exhaling a heavy sigh.
In the ‘future,’ ordinary Dungeons had either transformed into Contaminated Dungeons or appeared as such from the start, causing immeasurable devastation.
“Plus, even after you destroy the Boss Monster and the Dungeon Core of a Contaminated Dungeon, it doesn’t disappear. Monsters keep regenerating over and over, so you never know when a Dungeon Break might happen—it’s incredibly dangerous.”
‘That’s definitely dangerous.’
A Dungeon Break—when the monsters inside exploded outward like a dam bursting.
Because of it, the continent fell into deeper chaos, and that chaos only hastened the pace of annihilation.
Stopping these Contaminated Dungeons was part of Alex’s plan. Though he still needed to find a way to actually eliminate them.
‘Do you know the cause?’
“No. No one’s been able to figure it out.”
Not the Hero’s Party, not the mages, not even the Holy Kingdom priests.
“Do you have any suspicions?”
Alex asked on the off chance.
After all, this was a Lich from another world. There was a possibility he knew something.
‘No. I haven’t got a clue.’
At Lebak’s straightforward answer, Alex moved into Sit-ups, disappointment clear in his movements.
‘Well, if we don’t know, we just keep working at it.’
There was so much to do, and the road ahead was murky.
But for Leo’s happiness, Alex would do anything.
‘Man, this is exhausting.’
‘Come on, Alex, let’s head inside soon.’
‘For Leo’s sake, I can endure even this racket.’
Alex let Lebak’s groaning roll off his back and kept training hard.

* * *
The next morning.
Alex and Leo enjoyed a hearty breakfast together before heading to the Market.
The portion had seemed unusually generous, but Harlon’s approving gaze made it clear he had deliberately made sure they were well-fed.
Alex purchased the items he had selected the evening before, one by one.
“Hehe, Uncle. I love the new clothes!”
Leo, dressed in the new outfit Alex had bought him as a souvenir of their travels, beamed with joy.
‘The future.’
Though the village elders had shown him kindness, Leo had grown up without family—lonely and forlorn. Watching him now, Alex felt a gratitude and fullness he couldn’t quite measure.
After shopping at the Market, they ate lunch and then went to the Blacksmith to collect the cleaned blade.
“Wow!”
[Magnificent!]
The sword gleamed in the sunlight, drawing spontaneous gasps from both Leo and Lebak. Alex too was satisfied with how cleanly it had been restored.
This was the blade that had been the steadfast strength of “Hero Leo” until it shattered.
‘This time it’s mine to wield.’
I’m counting on you.
With a slight smile, Alex fastened the sword’s scabbard firmly to his hip.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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