I Became the Hero While Paving a Flower Path for My Niece - Chapter 41

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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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Laying Flower Paths for My Cousin Made Me a Hero — Episode 41
“Starting five years from now, when Leo is around eleven, refugees begin arriving from the ‘future.'”
Ibek listened to Alex’s story with keen interest.
“They first settled near the Caldis Lordship, but gradually scattered and settled in other villages. Refugees came to our village too. Since people were fleeing from all over the Continent, all sorts arrived.”
Nobles, scholars, knights, mercenaries, mages, merchants—the list went on.
People wounded and fleeing from Demons and monsters made their homes in Belo Village.
Alex remembered the people of Belo Village generously offering land to the refugees, and the refugees constantly expressing their gratitude.
“Some helped with farming, some contributed their strength against Demons. Still others taught what they knew to the children and adults.”
[Ah.]
[Talent donation?]
“Leo learned from those teachers too.”
He learned sword technique and scholarship, how to defeat Demons and monsters, and how to deal with people—all the ways to live in this world.
“It helped Leo tremendously.”
Alex smiled softly, thinking of the Hero Leo who had adventured across the Continent based on what he’d learned.
[So there was someone from the information guild among them.]
“Right. At first I thought he was just a gambler and a rake.”
Among the many refugees, some were respectable, but naturally there were strange ones too.
There were those who claimed to be incredibly wealthy, others who insisted they were nobility and demanded to be treated accordingly. And there were those who’d wielded power in the back alleys.
In a shattered world where countless nations had fallen and been destroyed, where you couldn’t tell who was who, few believed such boasting.
“But it turned out he was the Guild Master of the Crow Information Guild.”

* * *
The ‘Future.’
One day.
A man in his thirties with dark brown hair and orange eyes settled in Belo Village.
Like the other refugees, he bore deep scars and had lost one eye.
His name was Dein.
“Uncle Dein! Lift me up! Lift me up high!”
“Hahahaha! Of course! I’ll lift you all the way to the roof!”
“Kyahahaha!!”
He played with the young children,
“See? If you swap the cards like this without anyone noticing, I win, right?”
“Wow!”
“I didn’t see your hands move!”
He taught Card Game to Leo and his older friends,
“I told you not to teach the children gambling!”
“Oh, Chief. This is just a fun card game, you see.”
A gambler, truly.
‘Hey! You bastard! What are you teaching my Leo! This crazy son of a—!’
Unfortunately, the phantom Alex’s fury went unheard.
“Uncle Dein!”
“Tell us an interesting story!”
And he was a popular storyteller as well.
“Sure. What story shall I tell you?”
Though the black eye patch covering the scar could have looked frightening, when he smiled good-naturedly the children always gathered around, and Leo and his friends listened with fascination to tales of the world beyond the village.
“Look at him, not working at all, just playing!”
“Leave him be. The children enjoy it.”
It was a harsh and desolate world.
Watching the children’s joy, the adults turned a blind eye to Dein.
Though when he wasn’t playing with them, he was always sprawled out taking long naps.
“Then today I’ll tell you about a child who survived in the forest.”
Often Dein’s entertaining stories were also useful knowledge for the children,
“This is how you do it. Try it yourself.”
“Awesome!”
And he taught them how to wield a Short Sword and how to move quickly.
Perfect for protecting themselves and escaping.
“Leo, you’re doing well?”
“Really?”
Leo beamed at Dein’s praise.
“How about becoming my successor later? Your Uncle is an incredible person, you know.”
‘Who said anything about him being your successor?’
As Dein patted Leo’s head, the ghost Alex bounced about in exasperation.
That was how quickly Dein had been accepted by the village people in just a few days of settling in. Quite the talent.
‘Something’s off.’
Ghost Alex muttered to himself.
It absolutely wasn’t jealousy just because Leo liked Dein.
‘I’ll look into it tonight.’
Ghost Alex made full use of being a spirit, watching over refugees whenever they arrived at the village.
Of course, there was no way to tell anyone else what he’d discovered.
Naturally, he kept watch over Dein as well.
Yet for several days, Dein simply ate, played, and slept like any ordinary person.
‘There’s definitely something strange about this…’
And then, some time later.
Ghost Alex discovered that Dein was constructing a basement.
‘Insane! Why on earth would he build something like that?’
He found out soon enough.
On nights when everyone slept, messenger birds carrying letters and people came and went from Dein’s house, and the Communication Orb never fell silent.
A basement where no light from magical lamps could leak through.
Amid numerous papers covered in writing, detailed maps with small paths sketched across them, and various Magical Tools scattered about, there was Dein.
With his black Eye Patch removed, Dein bore a serious expression—far different from his usual gentle smile.
“That region’s been occupied too? Then try heading east. It should be relatively safer there. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
-Understood. …But how’s your eye doing?
Dein, who had come to Belo Village to recuperate, touched the scarred area near his right eye. What had originally been an orange iris had turned a pale, milky white.
“I can’t see out of it, but at least I still have my left eye. Otherwise I’d have become deadweight.”
-Deadweight? If the Guild Master hadn’t been there then, I would’ve been in danger too—and so would the guild.
“I’m joking. Only joking.”
Ghost Alex watched as Dein spoke with a light laugh.
‘The Guild Master of an information guild?!’
Moreover, he was the leader of the Crow Information Guild, which controlled both the eastern and southern regions of the Continent, including the Meyheti Kingdom.
Unbelievable.
That such a person would settle in Belo Village!…was not surprising, actually.
Because those who had settled here before Dein were far from ordinary themselves.
Still, it was remarkable that he was the Guild Master of an information guild.
‘That explains why he knows so many stories.’
If he possessed knowledge of all manner of information across the Continent, it would be easy for him to weave it into tales.
‘His skill with the Short Sword and his Sleight of Hand—those must come from the nature of his work too.’
And sleeping during the day was likely because he worked nights like this.
After learning Dein’s true identity.
Alex would often visit the basement at night to hear various information about the Continent.
‘Leo, you know what?’
He learned much, but unfortunately, he couldn’t share any of it with Leo.
-How’s the village you’re staying in? Is it alright?
Dein, moistening his throat with alcohol, chuckled lightly at the voice of the Vice Guild Master coming through the Communication Orb.
“It’s a good village. The children are kind, the adults are sincere. Oh, and there’s this kid here named Leo.”
Dein’s remaining orange eye sparkled brightly.
The smile that emerged unbidden spoke volumes of how much he adored Leo.
“I taught him the Short Sword Technique, and he picked it up remarkably fast.”
When Leo’s name came up, Ghost Uncle Alex focused all the more intently.
“He’s sharp-minded too, and grasps information usage well. If I teach him more, he’ll surpass me eventually.”
-So he’s becoming the Guild Master’s successor then?
To that, Dein answered with a hint of regret.
“That’ll be difficult. The boy can use Divine Power.”
-Divine Power? Remarkable. Then he’ll join the Rescue Army later.
“Probably so.”
Leaning back in his chair, Dein recalled Leo training—wreathing his blade in Divine Power.
That boy, who said he’d one day go searching for his parents, spoke of wanting to help people.
A map of the Continent lay spread across the table before him.
The regions occupied by Demons were marked in black, and those territories consumed fully half the Continent.
“…He might end up becoming something far greater.”

* * *
[Oh!]
[You’ve got a good eye.]
[So Leo became the Hero after all.]
[Just as one would expect from the Crow Information Guild Master!]
Alex nodded in agreement with Ibek’s assessment. The man was certainly formidable in his abilities.
“After that, I stayed in Belo Village and coordinated information from across the Continent by forming alliances with other information guilds, helping the Rescue Army.”
The Hero Leo and his friends benefited greatly from this support.
“I gathered intel with Dein and the information guild about Artifacts and Elixirs that appeared in legends and rumors from various regions, and shared what we learned.”
[I see.]
[A reliable supporter indeed.]
[So we’re going to meet that person?]
“That’s right.”
[But didn’t you say he became a Guild Master? Then he’d be in the capital, wouldn’t he?]
“Dein becomes Guild Master a few years later. The previous one was killed by the Demons. Right now, he should be serving as Branch Chief in Brodell Territory.”
[Ah.]
But the Tavern’s door was closed at the moment, so it seemed they would need to return around evening.

* * *
“Uncle!”
Leo and Jake, who had been talking in their inn room, greeted Alex with delighted faces.
Jake’s expression held a mixture of fear and anticipation.
“I haven’t learned anything yet, but I know someone in this territory. We’re meeting in the evening, so we’ll need to wait a little while.”
Jake nodded eagerly at this.
“Yes! I can wait!”
“What were you two doing? Aren’t you hungry?”
[I’m starving!]
“I’m fine. Leo gave me a snack.”
He had eaten part of it and saved the rest to give to Milo. Considerate as always, Leo quietly set aside an extra snack he’d bought yesterday for Jake.
“I’m alright too. We were studying letters. Look at this!”
Leo showed Alex the paper he had been working on diligently. Jake, a little embarrassed but visibly proud, produced his own paper—considerably messier.
“Leo taught me too.”
Jake spoke with animated enthusiasm.
The Continent already suffered from a high rate of illiteracy, and in a shifting agricultural village rather than a city, there was virtually no one who could read or write.
So even if one wanted to learn, there was no opportunity—yet here Jake was, actually learning.
He was overjoyed, and his only wish was to find Milo and teach his brother the same.
When Jake spoke, Leo laughed—hehe!—and Alex praised them both, ruffling Leo’s hair.
“That’s wonderful. You both did well.”
[It’s a mess, but how sweet! Actually studying.]
[I would’ve just played around.]
“But I’m not sure if it’s right.”
“You both wrote beautifully. Leo’s is roasted meat, and Jake’s is… well, dried meat?”
[They must be writing about foods they want to eat.]
Ibek burst out laughing.
“Exactly! They wrote about the most delicious food they’ve ever had.”
“That’s right! The dried meat Leo gave me was the most delicious!”
Jake spoke with bright excitement as Alex read what he had written.
[So the dried meat Leo gave him was the most delicious.]
[As if there aren’t countless delicious things in the world!]
“Then for lunch, let’s try something even more delicious.”
“Really? I’d love that!”
“I’d like that too!”
Leo and Jake broke into bright smiles.

* * *
After a satisfying lunch and more letter lessons, the sun began to set.
“Well then, I’m going out and will return later. You might fall asleep before I’m back, so sleep early. And make sure you brush your teeth.”
“Understood, Uncle!”
“Have a good trip!”
Leaving behind the spirited responses of Leo and Jake with his eyes full of hope and trepidation, Alex headed toward the Tavern.
[So the Information Guild here only deals in information?]
[They don’t do anything like theft?]
“Well, on the surface it’s an information guild, but they probably dabble in all sorts of things.”
They infiltrate places to gather intelligence, then pocket whatever’s worth stealing. They profit from selling what they learn. And since they’re connected to the underworld, they run gambling dens too.
That’s probably why Dein from the Future is so skilled at gambling and has such nimble fingers.

* * *
“Welcome!”
The tavern was alive with noise and chatter.
A bartender polished glasses behind the counter while servers ferried food and drink to the patrons.
[Whoa! A fantasy tavern!]
[It’s got a different vibe from the restaurants we’ve been to!]
[Rougher. More authentic.]
Ibek spoke excitedly—this was his first time in a proper tavern like this, what with young Leo in tow.
[But wait. Some of these people aren’t customers, are they?]
Ibek observed through Alex’s eyes and pointed it out.
Even Alex, whose eyes were sharp, hadn’t missed the few patrons who’d been watching him intently the moment he walked in.
[Exactly! This is what an information guild looks like!]
Despite the hostile surveillance, Ibek seemed thrilled.
Alex walked straight toward the bartender without hesitation.
“First time here? What can I get you? Everything we serve is top quality!”
The bartender grinned and asked warmly. Alex smiled back and answered with studied politeness.
“I’d like to meet with Dein.”
[That tone isn’t polite at all though.]
[Can you just say a branch chief’s name out loud like that?]
[We don’t know the password, so what else can we do?]
The bartender blinked, clearly taken aback.
“…Dein?”
At that moment, the guild members who’d been watching Alex grew noticeably more guarded.
[Oh.]
[The air just got tense.]
“Hmm. I’ve never heard the name Dein before. Are you sure you’ve got the right place?”
[The expression was good but his eyes twitched a little.]
[Failed the tell!]
Alex let Ibek’s snickering fade into background noise and spoke again.
“Tell Dein it’s about Dasha Village.”
As Alex simply stated what he came to say, a brief silence fell over the guild members.
Of course, the ordinary patrons kept up their cheerful chatter, so nothing seemed amiss to them.
[Oh. The atmosphere just got deadly quiet.]
Though Alex and Ibek felt every bit of it.
“…I told you. There’s no one named Dein here.”
A clunk sounded from beneath the counter.
[Did you hear that clunk just now?]
[A weapon? Is someone arming themselves?!]
[At this rate they’re going to drag us away!]
Ibek seemed oddly excited about being dragged away.
“Mark.”
Then.
One of the guild members who’d been posing as a customer approached the bartender.
“I’ll take them.”
The bartender, who’d looked startled, quickly nodded in assent.
[This guy must be their superior.]
Alex studied the man.
The face was familiar.
Alex recognized him from the Future—older now, and bearing scars.
It was Ben, the Vice Guild Master who used to communicate with Dein regularly through Communication Devices.
‘He must be some kind of sub-branch chief by now.’
It seemed Dein had mentioned Dasha Village to him at some point.

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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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